Charlton Athletic: Sheffield Wednesday deal would secure Corey Blackett-Taylor replacement: View | OneFootball

A number of clubs are interested in bringing Sheffield Wednesday forward Mallik Wilks to the club over the summer, according to a report from Football Insider.

Charlton Athletic will face competition from fellow League One sides Reading and Stockport County in the hunt for the attacking outlet, who has won promotion from the third tier on two separate occasions in the past.

The Addicks will be eying up the 25-year-old to add an extra bit of pace and power into their forward line, having lost the influential Corey Blackett-Taylor to Derby County in the January transfer window.

If Nathan Jones can add an extra dimension to his side that allows players to back up the goalscoring exploits of Alfie May, the south London side could be a real challenger at the top of the table next season, and Wilks could be the man to provide that spark in the final third.

Mallik Wilks could offer Charlton Athletic perfect attacking option to replace Corey Blackett-Taylor

Blackett-Taylor played a massive part in the first half of the season at The Valley; having mustered 14 goal involvements in the opening 25 league matches of the season with a number of eye-catching displays.

The wide man was making the Addicks tick before his move to Pride Park in January, where he signed an initial loan deal before making the move permanent this summer.

The tricky winger’s departure coincided with an 18-game winless run for Charlton in all competitions over the turn of the calendar year; a run that ultimately led to boss Michael Appleton being given the sack before January had come to a close.

New man Nathan Jones steadied the ship and allayed any fears of relegation from the third tier in the final few months of the season, with the former Luton Town boss losing just two of his 16 matches in charge as the season came to a close.

The fact that only four of those matches ended in victory says a lot about Charlton at this moment in time, with the side failing to make the most of their advantages in matches to come away with all three points again and again.

With the addition of a couple of extra bodies up top, the Addicks could really put together a strong push towards the top of the table in the upcoming campaign. Jones a man who has been there, seen it, and done it when it comes to gaining momentum and taking his team to the top in the EFL.

Mallik Wilks would add plenty of firepower to Charlton Athletic squad ahead of League One campaign

The addition of a player like Wilks would suit Jones and Charlton down to the ground, with the pacy forward likely to stretch teams and create spaces for his teammates in the final third of the pitch.

The 25-year-old has endured a frustrating couple of years at Sheffield Wednesday since making the move from Hull City in 2022; playing 31 times across the previous two campaigns, with his time at Hillsborough blighted by injury.

Put him in a team that plays to his strengths, though, and Wilks can have a devastating effect in the third tier, just as he did with the Tigers back in the 2020/21 campaign, where he netted 19 times en route to the League One title.

A further eight assists that year saw him register 27 goal contributions - the best year of his career to date - and with the right teammates and management team behind him, there is no reason why he couldn’t repeat that feat if he returned to that level.

On his day, Wilks can be unplayable, with his natural skill on the ball and rampaging runs from either flank, as well as being utilised through the middle if needed.

Jones is a man who is renowned for draining every sinew out of every player he has at his disposal at a club, and puts his faith in players who might not necessarily have flourished in other environments, and that could be exactly what Wilks needs at this time in his career.

An arm round the shoulder and a whisper in the ear is all it could take to reignite the spark within Wilks’ feet, and Athletic could have the makings of a top League One team if they get the deal over the line.