Chelsea must be tempting for Charlton Athletic star but Brentford move makes sense: Opinion | OneFootball

Charlton Athletic striker Miles Leaburn is attracting interest from Premier League sides Chelsea and Brentford, according to the Daily Mail.

Leaburn came through the Chelsea academy before making the move to The Valley in 2019, and he enjoyed an outstanding breakthrough season for the Addicks last term.

The 19-year-old's form did not go unnoticed, and The Sun claimed that Aston Villa were among a number of Premier League clubs weighing up a move this summer, while Charlton reportedly rejected a £3 million bid from a Bundesliga side.

Leaburn missed the start of the season with an ankle injury, but he has been in excellent form since his return - scoring six times and adding an assist in 10 appearances.

What has Michael Appleton said about Miles Leaburn's Charlton Athletic future?

After Leaburn got on the scoresheet once again in the 4-0 home win over Reading last Saturday, Appleton admitted that he is braced for interest in the striker in January.

When asked if he expects bigger clubs to be keeping tabs on Leaburn, Appleton told the South London Press: "I’m sure that’s the case.

"Obviously it isn’t that we don’t welcome that, because ultimately as a football club you want to have the best players – or potentially the best players – in the league. With that comes interest from bigger clubs.

"From our point of view we see it as a positive because he is our player and we get to decide what we do with him.

"It wasn’t just his goal. He was real value in terms of his performance as well. He made Button make a big, big save just before he scored his goal as well. The pass from TC in the build-up to it wasn’t unnoticed.

"He’s put the burners on as well because Nelson Abbey, for them, was outstanding today. Time and time again he was the one, if we looked dangerous and like we’d get in, thwarted us a little bit. For him to get in behind him was impressive."

Should Miles Leaburn leave Charlton Athletic for Chelsea or Brentford?

With his list of suitors increasing, it seems inevitable that Leaburn will be on the move in the not-too-distant future.

However, Leaburn must be careful when deciding on his next club, and while a return to Chelsea could be tempting, it may not be the best destination for the striker.

With the Blues lacking an out-and-out striker currently, Leaburn could be handed an opportunity in the first-team at Stamford Bridge, and Mauricio Pochettino has shown a willingness to give young players a chance so far this season.

But Chelsea will have ambitions of returning to the Champions League and competing for trophies under Pochettino, and it would be no surprise to see the club recruit a high-profile striker in January, particularly considering their significant spending under the ownership of Todd Boehly, which could limit Leaburn's opportunities.

Leaburn must look to the example of his former Charlton team-mate Mason Burstow, who has struggled to make an impression since joining Chelsea in January 2022, and he is currently out on loan at Sunderland.

It may not be as attractive an option, but a switch to Brentford would be a much better move for Leaburn's career.

The Bees have missed a focal point up front in Ivan Toney's absence this season, and with Toney likely to depart the Gtech Community Stadium in January after his betting ban expires, Thomas Frank will be in need of a replacement.

There would be question marks over whether Leaburn is ready to play regularly in the Premier League at this stage of his career, but he is a player with huge potential, and he would likely receive more minutes at Brentford than he would at Chelsea.