Charlton Athletic landing ex-Premier League player would be a real coup: View | OneFootball

With Tariqe Fosu said to be training with Charlton Athletic, Nathan Jones could well tempt another player with plenty of pedigree to turn out for the Addicks this season.

After former Premier League striker Connor Wickham made his debut for the his new side on Saturday and Kazenga Lua Lua also said to be training with the club, Fosu could be another shining addition to help the side beat the drop in League One.

The wide man has been without a club since leaving Brentford at the end of last season, but at 28-years-old he could still do a job at The Valley, and has proven himself to be a top-class performer at both this level and the one above.

Tariqe Fosu training with Charlton Athletic

Fosu will have plenty of fond memories on returning to Charlton, with Athletic being the side he really made his name as an EFL player, following his move from Reading in 2017.

A solitary substitute appearance was all he could muster with the Royals as he soaked up loan spells at Fleetwood Town, Accrington Stanley and Colchester United, before making the permanent switch in the pursuit of regular first-team football.

And on arrival at his new club he really began to shine, with seven goals by mid-October - including a hat-trick against former side Fleetwood - he began to catch the eye, before going on to net eleven times in his 57 league appearances for the Addicks.

A move to Oxford United followed before making the step up to Brentford in the Championship, where he helped the Bees secure promotion to the Premier League in his first full season with the club; coming on as a substitute in the 3-1 victory over AFC Bournemouth at Wembley.

After falling out of favour in West London spells at Stoke City and Rotherham followed last season, and he played an influential role in keeping the Millers in the second tier, before finding himself without a club when the current campaign got underway.

If Charlton were to get their hands on Fosu, they could have a real gem on their hands, with the wide man easily good enough to ply his trade in the second tier, so to have him in the third would be a real weapon to utilise.

With eight goals in 25 games for Oxford the last time he played at this level five years ago, if the Addicks were able to tie the 28-year-old down to a deal at The Valley for the foreseeable future they could reap the rewards further down the line.

On his day he can be one of the hardest players to play against in the division; whether that is when he has the ball or his ability to read the game without it, and he is a player that plays best when he is in a happy environment, which Greenwich seems to be for him, with his past record at the club speaking for itself.

With the versatility in his game to be played as a wing-back in Jones’ system - which has garnered three wins in their last four games - or even as a more central attacking outlet behind the frontman, Henry’s experience and ingenuity would be an unbelievable signing for a League One side.

Charlton Athletic pick up form in League One relegation battle

Since his arrival at the start of last month, Jones has helped to allay any fears of relegation to League Two that might have been lingering at The Valley, with results turning around after a start of four matches without a win for the new boss.

Victories over Derby County, Cheltenham Town and last weekend’s win over Carlisle United have been invaluable in clawing the Addicks into the warm embrace of mid-table, with the gap widening between themselves and the relegation zone.

The additions of Freddie Ladapo and Tyreeq Bakinson have bolstered Jones’ options for the last eight matches of the 23/24 campaign, while signing Wickham on a short-term deal will add further options up front.

When asked at the weekend about the potential of other free agents joining, Jones said: “We might have an announcement, we’re just waiting for clearance.

“We’ve got an exciting one coming up. It’s someone I know very, very well and we should have more news for you next week.

“We want more balance in the team. The squad needs to be trimmed and streamlined. We need to add different things. We’ve got a lot of pace and power in it. I want to add more balance and that might mean a target man, it might mean wide men. It might mean different things in the team.”

Whether that is Fosu or Lua Lua, who Jones has worked with at Luton Town and Brighton and Hove Albion, remains to be seen, but if the former is to be snapped up League One defences should be running scared, because he is far too good to be playing back in this league and he will be wanting to make up for lost time.