Northampton Town should capitalise on Charlton Athletic, Terry Taylor situation | OneFootball

23-year-old could leave Charlton this summer.

Terry Taylor has been excellent for Northampton Town since joining on loan from Charlton Athletic in the January transfer window.

Taylor, 23, has been a mainstay in the Cobblers midfield, playing every minute in all 14 games since joining the club on January 22.

The midfielder has been essential in Town's success under Kevin Nolan, especially since a season-ending injury to his impressive midfield partner and fellow January addition Liam Shaw.

Due to a stack of injuries in the middle of the park for Nolan to deal with, Taylor has also taken the responsibility of guiding Nottingham Forest loanee Ben Perry, who has been thrown into the deep end, becoming a regular League One starter so soon into his first senior loan spell.

Taylor has found a home at Northampton

Cobblers' signings since the arrival of Nolan and the appointment of Colin Calderwood as technical director look to have all been successes so far. However, the overhaul in midfield is the most impressive.

Nolan, a former midfielder himself, made three additions to the middle of the park in January, bringing in the aforementioned Shaw and Perry as well as Taylor.

However, at present, Taylor looks the pick of an impressive bunch, mainly due to Shaw's season-ending injury. The Welshman has had an instant impact after joining from Charlton, where he had struggled for game time since the appointment of Nathan Jones.

The former Wolves midfielder signed for the Addicks in the summer of 2023 from Burton Albion for an undisclosed fee, but only featured 21 times for the club, but he has certainly hit the ground running at Sixfields.

Taylor's fantastic leadership and awareness has been essential for Nolan's side. Cobblers supporters feared that they would lose control in midfield and were light on options following Shaw's injury, but the Welshman has guided and formed a great connection with fellow young talent Perry.

Northampton should capitalise on Taylor, Charlton situation

While Jones is still in charge at Charlton it is difficult to see Taylor forging his way back onto the scene at the Valley as the Addicks eye the Championship, and a move away from the club could well be on the cards.

Taylor was previously regarded as a top midfielder in League One and had been linked with moves to Championship clubs. He has re-found this form and got significant minutes under his belt working with Nolan at Northampton, something that could open the door to a permanent switch to Sixfields.

Shaw and Taylor formed a formidable partnership together, and should Taylor sign, it would provide a long-term solution for Northampton's midfield, which before their signings looked like it needed a new direction.

Taylor is still under contract at Charlton but the London club could be willing to let go of the 23-year-old if they are unable to offer him the opportunities he could get elsewhere.

Stevenage, Shrewsbury Town, Cambridge United and Bolton Wanderers were all reportedly chasing the Welshman before he joined Cobblers in January, so there will be no shortage of interest in Taylor.

Should Cobblers get a permanent deal over the line, it would certainly be a statement of intent. They have an advantage in that they've struck on loan first, and now is the time to truly make that count by capitalising on the potential for a permanent agreement for a player whose Charlton future looks particularly bleak under Jones.