Nathan Jones' £8.8m Charlton Athletic transfer splurge questioned - "Why did we bother signing these players?" | OneFootball

The Addicks invested heavily in their squad during the summer transfer window.

This article is part of Football League World's 'Terrace Talk' series, which provides personal opinions from our FLW Fan Pundits regarding the latest breaking news, teams, players, managers, potential signings and more…

Charlton Athletic invested heavily in their squad during the summer transfer window, but their big-money signings have not quite been able to make the desired impact in the Championship so far this season.

The Addicks brought in a number of new additions as they prepared to return to the second tier, as Nathan Jones looked to build a squad capable of competing at the level above following their promotion-winning campaign in League One last term.

Charlie Kelman arrived from Queens Park Rangers for an initial fee of £3.5 million, Rob Apter signed from Blackpool in a deal worth more than £2 million, Harvey Knibbs completed a £1.8 million move from Reading, and Tanto Olaofe was brought in from Stockport County for £1.5 million - a combined total of £8.8 million.

Meanwhile, Charlton also spent fees to sign Thomas Kaminski and Reece Burke from Luton Town, as well as Joe Rankin-Costello from Blackburn Rovers.

Ironically, arguably the Addicks' two best signings of the summer were brought in on free transfers, with Sonny Carey and Amari'i Bell having both impressed since their respective arrivals from Blackpool and Luton.

Charlton's four big-money summer signings - Kelman, Apter, Knibbs and Olaofe - have not quite made the impact they would have hoped for so far this season.

Kelman has only scored once for his new club and Apter has only started twice since September, while Knibbs and Olaofe have made just three starts each in the league all season.

Charlton Athletic signings may need time to prove their worth after summer splurge

FLW asked our Addicks fan pundit, Chris Woodward, whether he feels as though Jones has wasted money on players who either haven't performed or just aren't being given the opportunities to make a difference, and he believes that they need time to develop at The Valley before they can consistently make an impact at Championship level.

However, given the ultimate aim at the start of the season would have been survival from relegation, Woodward has also questioned why such an outlay was spent on players not proven at the level.

"I think the important thing to consider with our summer window is that all our big-money signings were viewed as investments — players we could develop and sell on for profit down the line," Chris told FLW.

"The big-money signings that came in - Kelman, Olaofe, Knibbs and Apter - have underperformed, but it is not necessarily just down to their individual performances.

"Kelman has come from a side that created chance after chance for him, and has now moved to a side where service is limited, and he is expected to do much more work off the ball.

"Apter has been misprofiled as a wing-back by Nathan Jones. He has shown that, when given the license to get forward and play in the final third, he can be dangerous, but he struggles when tasked with more defensive responsibilities.

"Then you have Olaofe who, while he hasn't been brilliant, has played the equivalent of four or five 90 minute games, which it can be argued isn't enough time to really grow into a team and show what you can do.

"The same argument can apply to Knibbs as well. However, he was very good against Coventry in the first half before coming off with a tight groin, and he has earned the chance to start games moving forward.

"It is a bit of a tough one reflecting on our summer window. I am definitely frustrated by the fact we spent roughly £8 million or £9 million on four players that have either not been given enough opportunities or just haven't suited our system right from the off.

"You think to yourself, why did we bother signing these players when the focus this season has to be survival at all costs, rather than building a project without consolidating in the Championship first?

"At the same time, I have not watched any of these players and thought they haven't got what it takes to play at the level, it is just about giving them time to fit into the side, or making tweaks to get the best out of them."

"In six months' time, something might have clicked, and they could look like very smart buys."

Nathan Jones will take encouragement from glimpses of quality from Charlton Athletic quartet

While Nathan Jones would have hoped that his big-money summer acquisitions were going to have hit the ground running and become key players by now, he will no doubt have faith that the best is yet to come.

Kelman showed what he is capable of with a well-taken finish against Swansea City in his last game before getting injured, while Apter won Charlton's Player of the Month award for August after getting off the mark at Loftus Road during his first month as an Addick.

Knibbs has scored twice despite having only started three league games - a late winner against Watford on the opening day and the opener at Coventry City on Saturday.

Olaofe netted a late winner of his own when Charlton took all three points against Sheffield United at Bramall Lane in September.

If those four players can recreate moments like that between now and the end of the season, and Charlton can recapture the form that saw them start the season so strongly, then any questions over their summer transfer business will be forgotten.