As ownership uncertainty remains, Charlton Athletic’s January transfer window has been dominated by short-term solutions and cuts to the wage bill.
A host of former first-team regulars have departed the Valley, including Craig MacGillivray, Eoghan O’Connell, Sam Lavelle, Jake Forster-Caskey and Jayden Stockley as the club strive for a much leaner squad both financially as well as on the pitch.
MacGillivray, once Charlton’s first-choice keeper, has joined Burton Albion on a permanent deal having fallen down the pecking order behind Ashley Maynard-Brewer and Joe Wollacott.
The 30-year-old follows Charlie Kirk and Lavelle to the Pirelli Stadium, who have both joined the Brewers on loan deals for the remainder of the campaign.
Both departures make sense – Lavelle has never quite been the assured defensive presence he was brought in to be while Kirk is a high-earning but inconsistent winger.
Perhaps one outgoing that did raise a few eyebrows though was that of defender O’Connell’s move to National League side Wrexham for an undisclosed fee.
Like the others, the 27-year-old Irishman was one of the higher squad earners but found playing time limited following the emergence of Academy graduate Lucas Ness alongside first-choice centre-back Ryan Inniss.
To offset any potential damage, free agent Michael Hector has been brought in on a six-month deal and, although not expected to be a regular, his experience will be crucial in guiding the burgeoning crop of young centre halves Ness, Zach Mitchell and Deji Elerewe.
With Mandela Egbo and Steven Sessegnon also suffering injuries which has left Charlton short of full-back cover, Matt Penney and Todd Kane have been brought in on loan from Ipswich and Coventry respectively.
Penney has joined via a successful six-month loan stint at Scottish Premier League side Motherwell where he won the club’s Player of the Month award for both October and November while Kane brings experience – albeit currently sidelined after being injured on his debut.
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In midfield, Conor McGrandles has joined Forster-Caskey out of the door, the former on a loan deal to Cambridge and the latter permanently to high-flying League Two side Stevenage.
Both players saw their Charlton careers stall due to injury with Gavin Kilkenny coming in on loan from AFC Bournemouth to fill the void.
Although the Irishman made 14 appearances for the Cherries during their Championship promotion campaign, his loan spell at Stoke during the first part of the season saw his opportunities limited due to injury.
If fit, Kilkenny should help Charlton be more efficient in transition and more effective in distribution to the wings due to his impressive passing range and accuracy.
Arguably Charlton’s biggest departure this month has been Jayden Stockley to Fleetwood Town for what has been described as a ‘substantial fee’
The forward has been ineffectual in both the 4-3-3 and 4-4-2 shapes played by Charlton this season and his exit looked increasingly ominous when he was recently stripped of the captaincy by manager Dean Holden.
Elsewhere, Diallang Jaiyesimi, unfavoured by both Holden and predecessor Ben Garner, has also departed on loan, joining former boss Johnnie Jackson at League Two AFC Wimbledon.
In his place is Macauley Bonne, returning for a second spell at the club to add greater energy to a forward line which also includes Chuks Aneke as well as youngsters Miles Leaburn and Daniel Kanu.
Overall, although the raft of departures are justifiable, the new streamlined Charlton appears over-reliant on youth in key areas and looks vulnerable to an injury crisis which could see them looking over their shoulder.
Similarly, the short-termism of the arrivals – a combination of loans, no transfer fees paid and the length of permanent contracts only being until the end of the season further points to the uncertainty currently being felt around the club.
Considering Holden’s own deal is only until the end of the current campaign while technical director Andy Scott’s contract was supposedly up at the end of January, any speculated takeover of the club cannot come soon enough.
Because while the situation affecting one transfer window may just about be palatable, should it remain unresolved for too much longer it could have consequences on the decision-making of a number of key players out of contract in the summer.
Ultimately this month has been about improving the club’s financial health to make them more attractive to potential investors but, should that not be forthcoming then mid-table mediocrity is where Charlton will remain for the foreseeable future.