Charlton Athletic take Lloyd Jones action as Wycombe Wanderers circle | OneFootball

Charlton Athletic are in talks with Lloyd Jones over a new contract at The Valley.

Charlton Athletic have made progress in their discussions with Lloyd Jones over a new contract.

Contract negotiations between the player and the club are heading in the right direction, as per London News Online, with Jones' current deal set to expire in the summer.

Football League World exclusively revealed that Charlton had turned down a bid for the centre-back from fellow League One side Wycombe Wanderers earlier this month, and it has now become clear that the Addicks are taking action to tie down one of their most important players.

The 29-year-old has been impressive for Charlton in the middle of their back three this season, with his ability to read the game highlighted by the fact that he has made the joint-sixth highest number of interceptions in League One during the 2024/25 campaign so far.

Charlton must tie Jones down with a new contract

While Charlton are yet to make any new signings during the January transfer window, if they can agree a new contract with Jones then they will have completed one of their most important pieces of business this month.

The Addicks' vice-captain is a key cog in Nathan Jones' defence, with his importance having been highlighted during a recent spell on the sidelines with an injury.

He missed six league games during October and November as he returned to fitness. Charlton picked up just one win and a single clean sheet during that run of fixtures.

In the eight games since Jones returned to action, the Addicks have kept four clean sheets and only suffered two defeats, showing that his presence at the back is vital if Charlton are going to have any chance of closing the gap to the play-offs during the remainder of the season.

Nathan Jones' side have scored the first goal in each of their 14 victories across all competitions this season, meaning they have not come from behind once, so keeping hold of Jones to provide a solid foundation at the back is vital.

If Charlton sold Lloyd Jones this month, not only would it significantly weaken them on the pitch, but it would also disillusion many of their supporters, so it is good news that talks over a new deal for the defender are progressing.

Charlton's next priority should be Thierry Small

Now that it appears as though contract talks with Jones are moving in the right direction, Charlton's next priority should be to agree a new deal with Thierry Small.

The young wing-back is another player who is set to be out of contract at The Valley in the summer, and his recent performances have been more than good enough to warrant an extension.

At 20 years of age, Small still has plenty of time to develop his game further, so if Charlton are also able to tie him down to a new contract, it would send a message to the supporters that the club does have an ambition to make progress during the next few seasons.