Charlton Athletic supporters will surely be conflicted with potential signing of ex-West Ham United, Arsenal star | OneFootball

Charlton have been linked with the experienced Lukasz Fabianski, but fans could be conflicted, given their two goalkeepers both had a good 2024/25.

Charlton Athletic have been linked with the veteran former Arsenal and West Ham goalkeeper Lukasz Fabianski this summer, but bringing him in wouldn't be as straightforward as simply signing a new goalkeeper.

Charlton ended the 2024-25 season by returning to the Championship, after beating Leyton Orient in the League One play-off final.

Promotion means that work needs to be done on their first team squad. It's a big step up between these two divisions, and the Addicks have already made their first move of the summer, bringing in midfielder Sonny Carey from Blackpool on a free transfer upon the expiry of his contract at Bloomfield Road.

Fabianski has been touted as a potential big-name addition for Charlton on a free transfer after his release by West Ham, but it may not be the right move...

Charlton supporters will be wondering whether goalkeeper is a position they need to change this summer

But fans may be left scratching their heads over whether the goalkeeping position is one that needs to be filled at The Valley this summer.

Will Mannion and Ashley Maynard-Brewer were Charlton's two goalkeepers during the 2024-25 season. Both got game time and both showed good signs of progress, and supporters may be wondering whether it's worth disrupting their progress to bring in a 40-year-old Fabianski as another option.

Speaking to the club website in September 2024 following his arrival from Cambridge United, Mannion seemed pleased with the goalkeeping arrangements that Charlton had in place: “Me and Ash [Maynard-Brewer] have got a good relationship, and we've got a good working group at the moment with Hendo [Stephen Henderson]. It’s all very positive at the moment."

The arrival of another goalkeeper would surely only hamper the development of two promising players already within their ranks, and both Maynard-Brewer and Mannion will feel they showed enough to once again battle for the starting role in the Championship next term.

Fabianski would add huge experience, but he wouldn't come cheap

But, despite reports suggesting that Addicks boss Nathan Jones has turned down the opportunity to sign Fabianski in favour of recruiting another younger goalkeeper to his ranks, the rumours haven't quite gone away.

There is a case to be made for Charlton bringing in a goalkeeper of Lukasz Fabianski's experience and quality too, and it will be a debate that is no doubt splitting Addicks fans.

Fabianski has 18 years of Premier League experience with Arsenal, Swansea City and West Ham United, and picked up 57 caps for Poland between 2006 and his decision to retire from the international game in 2021.

He won the FA Cup with Arsenal in 2014, and was the West Ham goalkeeper when they won the Europa Conference League in 2023.

An experienced goalkeeper can be an inspiring presence for a team facing the challenge of a new season in a new division, but it's also the case that, even as a free transfer, Fabianski wouldn't be cheap, with Salary Sport estimating his West Ham salary as having been £60,000-a-week; more than three times their estimate for Charlton's highest-earner during the 2024-25 season.

He wouldn't be getting Premier League money in the Championship, but even halving his wage would leave him far and away their highest-paid player.

And this raises the question of whether it's worth spending all this money and causing all this disruption.

Mannion and Maynard-Brewer both made good progress last season, and reports that Nathan Jones would rather sign a younger third choice indicate that the manager isn't only looking towards the short-term.

Charlton supporters are right to wonder whether Fabianski is where the club should be centering their focus this summer.