How much money Cardiff City will need to pay Charlton Athletic to appoint Nathan Jones | OneFootball

Football League World looks at how much the potential appointment of Charlton Athletic's Nathan Jones could cost Cardiff City

Cardiff City are looking to appoint Charlton Athletic boss Nathan Jones in a bid to return to the Championship at the very first time of asking in the 2025/26 campaign after suffering relegation to League One.

The Bluebirds find themselves currently without a manager following the dismissal of Omer Riza back in April, with Aaron Ramsey having led the side on a caretaker basis for the remaining three games of last season.

It will be hoped, then, that Cardiff's managerial search can arrive at a conclusion sooner rather than later to prepare in earnest for the summer transfer window and next season in League One. The saga has rumbled on for some time, and the likes of Brian Barry-Murphy, Des Buckingham, Ian Evatt and Ramsey himself have all been linked with the job at stages.

However, Jones has now seemingly emerged as Cardiff's leading target. As per reports, the Welshman, a boyhood Bluebirds supporter who has previously made little secret of how much he would love to manage Cardiff, is a "strong and late contender" to take over in the Welsh capital, despite guiding Charlton back to the Championship through the third-tier play-offs just over a week ago.

Jones is currently contracted to the freshly-promoted Addicks, which could offer a roadblock in Cardiff's pursuit of his services. Just how much would Cardiff have to pay in order to prize Jones away from South London? Football League World takes a closer look...

How much Cardiff City would have to pay Charlton Athletic for Nathan Jones

As one would suspect, the potential appointment of Jones would not be a cheap one.

Charlton, of course, will have every intention of keeping him exactly where he is as they prepare for life back in the Championship, and Tan will have to splash out if he wants to land his man.

According to a fresh update via X from former WalesOnline journalist Paul Abbandonato, Charlton would want "around £1 million" in compensation for Jones.

The situation is described by Abbandonato as "complicated", and he has also suggested that the 52-year-old is on a significant salary alongside the compensation fee.

The ex-Luton Town and Southampton boss still has three years and three months to run on his current deal at the Valley, having been appointed by Charlton last February.

Nathan Jones appointment would be a show of Vincent Tan faith at Cardiff City

Should Cardiff decide to meet Charlton's reported compensation demand and appoint Jones, it would represent a clear show of faith by Tan.

The likes of Buckingham and Evatt, who have both been interviewed for the vacancy, are currently unattached to a club, which means Cardiff could appoint either without the snag of coughing up a compensation sum.

That's not the case with Jones, of course, but it does say a lot about just how much Cardiff want him in charge that he has emerged as such a strong contender over already-interviewed managers who aren't even under contract elsewhere.

Tan clearly has a lot of faith in Jones and, should he bring him back to South Wales, one would anticipate a fairly-sizeable transfer warchest to be at his disposal.