Opinion: Charlton Athletic should prioritise fresh agreement with 22-year-old | OneFootball

Charlton Athletic have not managed contractual situations very wisely in the last couple of seasons and there are some key players in the current squad, in the final year of their deal at the club.

January will come around very fast this season and the likes of Albie Morgan and Sean Clare will be able to negotiate and sign pre-contract agreements from the turn of the year, to facilitate an exit on the cheap in the summer.

Clare would be a free due to his age, while a Morgan exit would see the club receive a compensation payment, but not a reflection of his true value in the market, should his long term future be committed to the club.

Ben Garner has seen something in Morgan in pre-season and at the start of this campaign, selecting him in the starting XI ahead of the likes of Alex Gilbey and Jake Forster-Caskey.

The 22-year-old has been a work in progress for some time at Charlton and his potential clear to see with a strong work rate and one of the best passing ranges in League One when onsong.

The versatile midfielder turns 23 in February and has already racked up 103 appearances for his boyhood club.

Given his eye-catching vision and new-found ball carrying ability under Garner, at just 22 there is a good chance that Morgan is turning heads in the league above, especially with his contract edging towards expiration.

There could be a desire from the club and Garner, and Morgan himself, to secure his future at The Valley as he establishes himself as a crucial part of the first team.

Quiz: Can you remember the score the last time Charlton Athletic played at these 26 stadiums?

1 of 26

What was the score when Charlton last played at Wembley Stadium?

4-1 (Charlton win) 3-0 (Charlton win) 1-2 (Sunderland win) 2-1 (Charlton win)

The Addicks left it right until the last minute of 2021/22, to start discussing player contracts and whether they would be offering new deals and strategising for the future, but they cannot afford to be so sluggish this time around.

It is not often a player breaks through the youth system at a club, who presents an opportunity for the team to be built around them, and Charlton must not pass up that opportunity, with Morgan’s ceiling clearly firmly above League One level.