Charlton Athletic facing transfer threat in race to sign Michail Antonio | OneFootball

Michail Antonio has reportedly become of interest to the Addicks as a free agent

Charlton Athletic are reportedly facing a transfer threat in their aim of signing former West Ham United ace Michail Antonio as a free agent ahead of the Championship season's final weeks.

According to a report from BBC Sport, the Addicks' pursuit of the Jamaican international is being rivalled by Qatar Stars League side, Al-Sailiya.

It would mark a maiden return to competitive action for the 35-year-old since he was involved in a near-fatal car crash in December 2024, with the subsequent injuries sustained in the incident keeping him sidelined for almost one year.

Antonio had previously been on the books of Premier League side, West Ham United, for a 11-year period before departing the East London club following the expiration of his contract, but had remained in and around the Irons' youth academy setup in order to continue his rehabilitation from the aforementioned serious incident.

It is the longest period which the experienced and versatile figure has gone without competitive action during his senior career, and now he is looking for a new employer, which has been the case over the course of the middling part of the 2025/26 season, as the former Nottingham Forest man was linked with a potential return to the East Midlands in January after it was revealed he was training with Leicester City.

However, his time spent with the Foxes at their Seagrave training facility was done under the management of Marti Cifuentes, who revealed that a deal would not be able to materialise, just 19 days before he was relieved of his duties at the King Power Stadium, with Leicester now under the management of Gary Rowett on a short-term basis.

That being said, though, there is still a chance that Antonio could be involved in determining the outcome of the Championship's relegation battle if he was to sign at The Valley in the coming days.

But, it has now emerged that such developments may not be as straightforward as they initially seemed.

Charlton Athletic facing Al-Sailiya threat in Michail Antonio transfer battle

As previously mentioned, the 24-time Reggae Boyz international had been heavily linked with a switch to Leicester last month, before Cifuentes revealed that the Foxes would not be pursuing a transfer move for Antonio after he sustained a minor injury after recovering from his lengthy absence, which left his femur broken in four places.

As well as revealing that the attacker had held initial negotiations with the Addicks over a potential short-term contract, BBC Sport has since stated that a return to the Premier League with European-chasing Brentford also failed to materialise.

It was initially reported that Charlton boss, Nathan Jones, sees value behind a potential move for the ex-Sheffield Wednesday and Southampton man.

However, the same publication have now claimed that Al-Sailiya of the Qatari top-flight have also expressed an interest in signing Antonio, who has been in training with Charlton in recent days.

It has been stated that talks with both clubs are ongoing at this moment in time.

Michail Antonio facing transfer dilemma amid Charlton Athletic, Al-Sailiya interest

It is fair to say that Antonio, who has previously featured 268 times in the Premier League and 142 times in the Championship could have a major decision to make in the coming days.

A move to Charlton means he wouldn't have to relocate after his lengthy stint with the Hammers, and Jones' aforementioned stance certainly highlights that there will be a role for him to play in the final 14 games of the second tier season, with the Addicks currently 18th in the table, seven points clear of the relegation zone.

However, a move to the Middle East would offer Antonio a completely different experience in terms of on and off-pitch matters, meaning it cannot be ruled out.