Wycombe Wanderers: Deal for Charlton Athletic defender could be key after West Brom loan decision | OneFootball

Wycombe Wanderers should reignite a deal to sign Lloyd Jones, following Caleb Taylor's recall by West Brom.

Wycombe Wanderers will be in the hunt to replace centre-back Caleb Taylor this January after West Bromwich Albion cut his loan spell at Adams Park short.

The defender has had a huge impact during his time in South Buckinghamshire, forming a formidable partnership with Joe Low. This has seen Wycombe sitting pretty towards the top of the League One table. Taylor made 19 appearances for the Blues, scoring his only goal for the club in a 4-1 win over Shrewsbury Town.

Sadly, the news all Chairboys fans feared has come true, as his form has been enough to get him a shot for his parent club. The Baggies need defensive reinforcements in January but have opted to bring back one of their own in Taylor, instead of dipping into the transfer market. However, Taylor's former club will need to dip into the transfer market to plug the gap left by his departure. This could see Wanderers reignite their pursuit of Charlton Athletic defender Lloyd Jones.

Lloyd Jones linked with January Wycombe switch

Last month, journalist Alan Nixon reported that the Chairboys were once again keen on securing the powerful defender's signature, having been chasing him before he joined the Addicks. Matt Bloomfield is an admirer of Jones and has not given up in his pursuit of the centre-half.

The 29-year-old has been ever-present since he arrived at the Valley, making over 50 appearances for the Reds over the last 18 months. The former Liverpool man has been relishing working under Nathan Jones, having spent time with him at Luton Town. Charlton started the season slowly, but have picked up in recent weeks, which the defence has been a big part of.

However, with the Buckinghamshire side a long way above his current team in the table, Jones could be tempted to switch Red for Blue in the upcoming transfer window. With just six months remaining on his current deal and no updates on whether he will pen an extension, the Addicks could cash in on the defender, if they receive a suitable bid from Wycombe.

It would be very unlikely that the Chairboys would pay over the odds for someone who they could get for free in July, but they would be hopeful that a cut-price bid would swing Charlton in favour of allowing Jones to head to Adams Park.

Caleb Jones and Lloyd Taylor bear plenty of similarities

It's clear to see what type of defender Bloomfield wants in his system. A tall, powerful centre-back who is comfortable playing out from the back and under pressure. Both Low and Taylor impressed during their time together as they possessed these qualities, which saw them excel in Bloomfield's system.

What makes their partnership even more impressive is that both are in their early twenties, which means that neither has the level of experience some of the top defenders in League One have. It's understandable why Wycombe are keen on Jones, as the Charlton defender possesses all the key attributes for him to succeed under Bloomfield, whilst also bringing a wealth of experience to the back line.

Whilst experience isn't the be-all and end-all, as Low and Taylor have certainly proven, adding an experienced head to the defence could be extremely useful for the Chairboys. This could also aid the development of Low, as he will undoubtedly learn a lot from having Jones alongside him.

Not to mention, both the departed Taylor and Jones share similar strengths, which could make the 29-year-old the perfect like-for-like replacement for the former loanee. The ex-Liverpool man is in the ballpark of Taylor's stats, with 73.5% pass accuracy, compared to the latter's 80.4%.

Both also notch very similar numbers when it comes to duels, with Jones winning 69.3% of his ground duels, and 70.2% of his aerial duels. The Albion defender trumps him again, but not by much, as he has won 72.9% of ground duels and 75.6% of aerial duels.

Signing Charlton star could be key to Wycombe's promotion push

Benji Walker (@benjiwalkerphoto)

There would inevitably be interest in plenty of Wycombe's star players, given the season they've had so far. The Blues have already lost Aaron Morley along with Taylor, and Low has been heavily linked with a move to Swansea City.

January could potentially make or break the Buckinghamshire-based side's promotion hopes, depending on their activity in the transfer window. The task of replacing Taylor is a big one, especially in the middle of the season when many clubs are reluctant to sell players.

However, Wycombe's approach to new signings is heavily reliant on data analysis, which the recruitment team will be looking at extensively. Having compared the Charlton star to their former loanee, it seems that Jones would fit the bill to be Taylor's replacement. Both notch very similar numbers in key areas, which are integral to the way Wycombe plays. But, a deal must only be struck at the right price, given Jones' contract situation.

Bloomfield is a long-term admirer of Jones, hence the renewed interest after an unsuccessful attempt to sign him last summer. The 40-year-old believes that Jones could be a key component in securing promotion, so it will be interesting to see if Wanderers continue to chase Jones' signature.