Charlton Athletic in talks to sign ex-West Ham star - Leicester City tried to land him | OneFootball

Charlton Athletic have held initial talks with West Ham legend Michail Antonio over a potential short-term deal at The Valley.

Charlton Athletic and Michail Antonio have held talks over a potential short-term deal, which would see the Jamaican make a sensational return to domestic football after over a year out.

The 35-year-old was involved in a near-fatal car crash in December 2024, which left him with injuries that kept him out of domestic football for over a year.

Antonio left West Ham in the summer when his contract expired, but remained with the club to continue his rehabilitation, where he featured for their under-21s side in their opening league match against Nottingham Forest under-21s.

Since then, the Jamaican trained with Championship strugglers Leicester City in December, and also held talks with Brentford, but a move to either club never materialised.

However, in a new report from BBC Sport, it's been revealed that Antonio has held initial talks with Charlton over a short-term deal, with manager Nathan Jones reportedly believing the veteran striker can add some value to his squad between now and the end of the season.

Michail Antonio and Charlton Athletic hold talks over short-term deal

One of the most prominent strikers in the Premier League over the last decade, it's fair to say that Antonio is a modern day legend at West Ham, given his contributions to the East London club over his lengthy stint there.

Sadly, Antonio's time at the London Stadium came to an abrupt end in December 2024, when he was involved in a near-fatal car accident, which left him with long-term injuries, ruling him out of football for at least a year.

West Ham supported the striker throughout his recovery, keeping him at the club past the expiration of his contract to allow him to complete rehabilitation, before going to train with Leicester in late 2025.

A move to the King Power Stadium never materialised, and despite interest also arising from Brentford, the 35-year-old is still waiting to make his return to domestic action after over a year away.

Now, new reports from BBC Sport have suggested that a return may be edging closer, as Antonio has reportedly held initial talks with Championship side Charlton over a short-term deal at The Valley.

Talks are said to be at an exploratory stage, with nothing yet finalised, but it's believed that manager Jones feels that the Jamaican would add some huge value to his squad between now and the end of the campaign.

Whilst Antonio hasn't played domestic football for over 12 months, you can't help but feel that Charlton would be pulling a blinder by signing the former West Ham star on a short-term deal until the end of the season.

The 35-year-old has worked extremely hard to get to a stage where he can play football again, and whilst some fitness concerns may arise, he will be a valuable asset on and off the pitch, given his vast experience.

Of course, a lot will hinge on the wage that Antonio will want, and the Addicks won't want to fork out big money, but if they can strike a deal at a reasonable price, there's no real risk involved should they sign him on a short-term contract.

Antonio will be eager to impress when he returns and prove he can still do it at the top level, and with Charlton not out of the woods in terms of the relegation battle, signing the experienced striker is certainly a risk worth taking by all accounts.