Derby County & Charlton Athletic submit offers to sign free agent striker | OneFootball

Derby County and Charlton Athletic are both keen to strengthen their attack ahead of the upcoming Championship season

Charlton Athletic and Derby County are both exploring the free transfer market as they look to strengthen their respective forward lines ahead of next season.

The Rams narrowly fell short of a Championship play-off spot last campaign, whereas the Addicks successfully retained their second-tier status after winning promotion from League One.

Derby have already been busy in the summer transfer market, with Bobby Clark joining permanently from Salzburg, following last term's successful loan spell at Pride Park.

Meanwhile, Charlton must also have a successful window, as Nathan Jones vies to further cement his side's Championship status.

Derby County and Charlton Athletic make moves for ex-Lorient striker

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Derby finished eighth in the second tier last season, which will be enough to qualify for the play-offs next term, following the expansion of the post-regular-season competition.

In contrast, Charlton finished just six points above the relegation zone and will want to enjoy a more comfortable 2026/27 campaign.

According to French outlet FootMercato, both the Rams and the Addicks have made concrete offers for Sambou Soumano, whose Lorient contract has expired.

The 25-year-old scored four goals and registered two assists in 31 Ligue 1 appearances last season, but was handed just eight starts in the French top flight.

He previously played a key role in Lorient's promotion, notching 14 goals and three assists in 32 outings in the 2024/25 Ligue 2 campaign.

Before establishing himself as a regular first-team player with his most recent club, Soumano had loan spells with Belgian outfit Eupen and fellow French sides Rodez and Quevilly.

The striker's Quevilly stint proved fruitful, as he scored 15 goals and registered two assists in 38 appearances across all competitions during the 2023/24 season.

His most impressive performance last campaign arrived when he scored a brace in a 3-1 triumph over Nice last November, while his other goals came against Rennes and Brest, respectively.

Sambou Soumano signing is a gamble that could pay off for either Derby or Charlton

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Soumano's return of four goals and two assists in 31 Ligue 1 appearances last season is uninspiring, even if he was given just eight starts by Lorient.

However, the 14 goals and three assists he managed during the 2024/25 Ligue 2 campaign make for better reading, and he has seemingly done enough to impress both Derby and Charlton.

The fact that he performed well in the second tier of French football but struggled in Ligue 1 could indicate that he is Championship class, as the quality of the English second tier sits somewhere between that of the French top flight and Ligue 2.

Furthermore, John Eustace or Jones would not be taking a huge risk by signing Soumano, who is out of contract at Lorient, eliminating the need for a transfer fee.

If the 25-year-old proves to be a success in the Championship, either Derby or Charlton would deservedly earn plenty of plaudits for their decision to bring him across the channel to England.

Meanwhile, as revealed by Alan Nixon via Patreon last summer, Blackburn Rovers had eyed a move for Soumano, so he has had second-tier admirers for a long time.