Charlton Athletic may live to regret failed Sunderland transfer | OneFootball

Charlton Athletic tried to sign Jewison Bennette on loan at the end of the January transfer window.

Charlton Athletic may live to regret the fact that they were unable to sign Jewison Bennette on loan from Sunderland in January.

The Addicks ran out of time to conclude a deal to sign the Costa Rica international at the end of the winter transfer window, as per the Sunderland Echo, meaning that Nathan Jones was forced to go into the final few months of the season without as many wide options as he would have liked.

The 20-year-old has since departed the Stadium of Light permanently, having signed for Ukrainian side FC LNZ Cherkasy for an undisclosed fee last month.

Alex Gilbert and Tom McIntyre joined Charlton on loan from Middlesbrough and Portsmouth respectively on deadline day, but the Addicks were unable to complete a hat-trick of temporary additions, as they failed to bring Bennette in before the end of the transfer window.

Charlton may end up regretting that they were unable to bring Bennette to The Valley until the end of the season if any of their wingers pick up an injury during the run-in, especially if they fail to go on and win promotion to the Championship.

Charlton may live to regret failed Sunderland deal

Charlton were given a reminder that they are short of wingers at the weekend, as central midfielder Karoy Anderson was brought into the starting lineup to replace the injured Tyreece Campbell for the visit of Lincoln City.

Anderson was substituted at half-time during the Addicks' draw with the Imps, and it was clear to see that Jones' side were missing someone who could carry the ball up the pitch on the left-hand side in the absence of Campbell, especially in the first-half.

Campbell has been a standout player for Charlton this season, and while he has adopted a slightly more central role in attack under Nathan Jones this season, he still has a license to drift out wide and cause problems from the left.

Bennette is another player who likes to take defenders on from the left-hand side with his pace and trickery, so he could have been a perfect understudy for the Charlton academy graduate.

If Jones had a player like Bennette in his squad, an injury to Campbell might not be so detrimental to the balance of his Charlton side, so the Welshman may live to regret that the former Sunderland youngster did not join the club in January, especially if Campbell is ruled out for any extended period of time.

Bennette has Championship experience and has represented his country at a World Cup, so he might have proven to be a valuable option for Charlton as they pursue promotion to the second tier during the run-in, despite his age.

Bennette could have been an ideal signing for Charlton

Charlton are slightly short of wingers who can bring some unpredictability in the final third, with Campbell and Thierry Small being their only real options, and Small has naturally been a full-back throughout his career before this season. Young forward Kaheim Dixon has been called upon to play out wide from the bench a couple of times in recent weeks, but he lacks first-team experience.

Therefore, the left-footed Bennette could have turned out to be an ideal signing for Charlton in January, as his pace, flair, and willingness to run with the ball would have given Jones another player with the right profile to be effective out wide in his system.

The youngster scored twice from just eight shots for Sunderland during the 2022/23 campaign, comfortably outperforming his xG according to Fotmob, so he could have been a real threat for Charlton in the final third, especially considering they play in a lower division.

Last month, Football League World's Sunderland fan pundit, Jack Austwicke, explained that Bennette's last touch for the Black Cats was "whipping in a really good cross for our final goal in our 5-0 win over Southampton after doing three roulettes in a row", which suggests the winger could also have brought some creativity to the table in SE7.

His move to LNZ Cherkasy was reportedly worth £420,000, showing that he was rated to an extent on Wearside, despite his lack of appearances.

The 20-year-old has played on both wings during his short career so far, meaning the Addicks would have had cover on both flanks, so there will likely be some regret that they were unable to complete a deal in January if either Campbell or Small pick up a significant injury between now and the end of the season.

Campbell and Small have been key out wide for Charlton during their excellent run of form this year, so if either of them are ruled out for the play-offs it could be costly, and would surely leave Jones wondering what might have been had he been able to get a loan deal for Bennette over the line.