Raiding Johnnie Jackson and AFC Wimbledon could soften blow of potential Charlton Athletic departure: View | OneFootball

Johnnie Jackson is a popular name among Charlton Athletic fans, having featured over 250 times for the club.

However, he could become further adored by the Charlton faithful if he allows one of AFC Wimbledon first team starlets, Jack Currie, to depart for The Valley this summer.

The Addicks could lose Thierry Small, as, even if he does agree to the new terms offered to him, or the club activate their one-year extension clause, he has impressed during his short time in South East London and clubs searching for young defensive talents may look to swoop.

If he does depart, Currie could be the perfect option to replace him.

Jack Currie is a perfect League One left-back

The left-back is a product of AFC Wimbledon's highly successful academy.

In the past, the South West London club's academy has produced youngsters that have gone on to star in the EFL, the Premier League and even abroad, and Currie is just the latest of these talents.

He broke through into the Dons' first team in the pre-season of 2022/23 and would score on his league debut against Gillingham in the August of that season. From that moment on, he has become a firm fan favourite at Plough Lane, and has pretty much been an ever-present.

He has typically played as a traditional left back in a flat back four for Jackson, with the 4-4-2 being his preferred formation. However, this season has been plagued with defensive injuries for the Wimbledon manager, and so Currie has been utilised slightly further up the pitch, in a wing-back role, in a 3-5-2.

He has gone from strength to strength in this slightly more advanced role, displaying fantastic wing play and ability, as well as consistent defensive contributions, which will mean that he is going to be hot-property come the summer window.

Nathan Jones would be the ideal manager to develop Currie

Nathan Jones and Charlton recently revealed their plans for the upcoming transfer window through an interview with South London Press. In short, the former Luton boss will be looking to develop young players that the club already have or end up buying in.

Knowing this then, it is fair to say that Nathan Jones, Charlton and Currie will be a match made in heaven.

The Welsh-born manager has favoured a three-man defence with wing-backs, and with Currie having starred in a left wing-back role more recently for the Dons, a move to The Valley makes a lot of sense.

In Small's potentially short tenure at Charlton, he has been developed excellently by Jones and is proving that the manager is a perfect coach for those still in their early footballing years.

Under Jones, Small has registered his first professional goal, and has played in almost every possible minute of his 14 appearances, displaying that Jones is a manager that will stick by a player's talent and ability, even if they are at the younger end of the scale, and that could be perfect for Currie's development.

Success usually follows an arrival from Wimbledon

Transfers between the two clubs are somewhat frequent. Obviously, geography plays a huge role in that, and if a player is happy within London, they may not look to move elsewhere.

The last player to make a move directly between the two clubs was Lyle Taylor, and even if there is bitterness from Charlton fans about Taylor's acrimonious departure, there is no doubt that his goalscoring talents brought them success.

In his two seasons with the club, he scored a total of 36 goals in 67 appearances, and with that, also secured them promotion to the Championship.

While this isn't stating that Currie will bring goals to The Valley that will propel Charlton up the league, it could be a slightly bizarre coincidence that a fan favourite from Plough Lane then instantly goes on to make himself a hero with the Addicks.

There are not any concrete links to Charlton, or other clubs, at this time for Currie, there will be a hefty fee required to prize him from the Dons' grasp.

The club from SW19 recently announced they had taken up the option of an extra year on Currie's contract, and knowing how much of a talent he is, they will demand a large fee for his departure, should Charlton want him to be the man to potentially replace Small.

Whether any movement occurs for Currie, or Small for that matter, Charlton, and other EFL fans, should definitely remember his name, as there is no doubt he will be featuring at League One level, or even higher up, in the next few years.