Charlton Athletic owners fully intent on backing Nathan Jones in summer transfer window (2024)

BY RICHARD CAWLEY
richard@slpmedia.co.uk

Charlton Athletic’s owners have expressed a determination to back Nathan Jones in the summer transfer window as the Welshman looks to build a promotion-challenging squad.

The Addicks wrap up their League One campaign at Wycombe Wanderers tomorrow looking to extend their unbeaten run to 15 matches.

But while Jones, appointed manager at the start of February, has overseen the League One club’s longest undefeated run in 24 years, Charlton are also guaranteed to finish in their worst league position in 98 years.

Both Jones and Global Football Partners, who bought the club off Thomas Sandgaard in July, have stopped short of making bullish statements of intent, both when they first came through the door but also in terms of the 2024-25 campaign.

Jones talked after Saturday’s 1-1 draw against Shrewsbury about the next transfer window probably being “one of our biggest summers” in terms of activity.

American backers Joshua Friedman and Gabriel Brener have both been in attendance at The Valley since the summer takeover.

And the decision to hand Jones a four-and-half-year contract – and change the job title from head coach to manager – underlined their intent to fully empower the former Luton Town, Southampton and Stoke boss.

Charlton published a 28-minute video with Charlie Methven, not only GFP spokesman but also a part-owner of the club, on Tuesday in which he reflected on their first campaign at the helm as well as looking ahead.

“Our aspirations as an ownership group are to see the squad improve on a constant basis – whether that be through recruitment, coaching or improved fitness levels,” said Methven.

“The technical department and manager have come to us, as an ownership group, telling us what they think needs to be done to the team in the summer, in order to engender what we all want next season – which is a big promotion push.

“We had very productive meetings on that last week with the ownership group, who were very, very clear that they want to back the manager in his aspirations.”

Jones had reached the final two on Millwall’s shortlist when Gary Rowett opted to step down in October. The Lions plumped for Joe Edwards, who lasted a little more than three months in the post.

Jones has not tasted defeat at Charlton since a 2-0 reverse at Reading, just days after he took up his post.

He was nominated for League One Manager of the Month in March.

“Leadership is important, it’s a fact,” said Methven. “One cannot ignore the level of leadership Nathan Jones has brought to the club since he has been here.

“He was obviously the first choice of the technical team to become manager in January. What I think a lot of people don’t know is that he was also the first choice of the technical team to become manager in December.

“One of the reasons that approach was made was the perception that Charlton was a club that needed leadership – not just very much in the manager’s office, but also in the entire organisation.

“It needs personality and it needs leadership – that’s certainly something the manager has brought to the club.”

Methven is confident that some of the background appointments will bear fruit. Charlton were forced to wait for Will Abbott to work his notice at Brighton before he became director of performance services at the start of the year.

“It’s the unglamourous stuff that goes on behind the scenes to ensure the footballers that the club have are both available to play as often as possible but also, when they do play, are fit and able to out-run the opposition,” said Methven.

“The analysis that our technical guys did was that really over the previous few years – and maybe even going back quite a long way – showed Charlton’s injury record wasn’t as it ideally would be. And even when the players were fit to play, they weren’t always as fit as they might be to finish games.

“That often happens when you go through a period of turbulence off the pitch – you see some of these support departments get a bit denuded, because the pressure is always on to sign more players. Sometimes people slightly take their eyes off what is required to support that whole structure.”

Methven described there being “honest analysis” of where the football club was by their technical department which led to a request in December for unbudgeted funding – needed to take “a forceful step” forward to set up for next season.

Jones has indicated he ideally wants to avoid loan additions and did not name a single one of the five temporarily on their books in his matchday squad last time around.

Charlton did complete permanent transfers in January for Conor Coventry, Macaulay Gillesphey, Kayne Ramsay, Rarmani Edmonds-Green and Thierry Small.

But club captain George Dobson is bound for Hungarian club Fehervar while Michael Hector and Terell Thomas have less than six weeks on their contracts.

The South London Press was told earlier this week that no talks had commenced with Thomas, who has also been linked with Fehervar.

“The permanent signings are starting to look like they were really good additions which will strengthen the squad for the future,” said Methven.

“The advantage of them being here in February, March and April is that when they come back in pre-season no-one is having a guess about what type of player they are.

“They have started to be drilled in how the manager wants to play.”

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