Charlton Athletic attacker reveals his scoring target for Championship season, success of Chalobah move hinges on his fitness and Grant explains squad number decision
Addicks women bring in experienced Australian international and Dykes joins Millwall
Welcome back to another Charlton Athletic review of the week.
In this round-up we have reaction to Nathaniel Chalobah becoming an Addicks player as well as Sonny Carey talking about his personal target after getting off the mark in Saturday’s EFL Cup win at Cheltenham Town.
Sonny Carey attacks at the weekend/Picture: Kyle Andrews
Carey looking for double digits
Sonny Carey is targeting double figures in the goal charts this season - and managed to open his account in Charlton’s 3-1 win over Cheltenham Town in the EFL Cup on Saturday.
The 25-year-old attacker bagged eight in his first campaign for the Addicks but had to wait until September to hit the back of the net, against Millwall at The Valley.
This time around Carey, who top-scored for the south Londoners, was celebrating on the opening day, converting inside the penalty area from Nathaniel Chalobah’s pass.
Want more details and analysis on the match? The post-match pod is here. Nathan Jones’ post-match comments can be found here.
“It was a good performance,” said Carey. “Cup competitions are all about winning and getting through to the next round - that’s what we did.
“It’s good for me to get off the mark early. I want to bring more assists into my game as well, so it was good to get one of those for Godders (Matty Godden). I could have had three today.
“They were very good goals. We’ve done a lot of final third work in pre-season. The goals were well-worked and well-finished.
“I’d like to hit double figures for goals. I got eight last year, so just missed out on the target.”
Carey had not scored since a 1-1 draw at Southampton on February 21. So did that play on his mind?
“No, not really,” he said. “Goals are the hardest thing to do in football, so when you get a chance you have to take it.
“I watch all my clips back and think ‘what could I have done differently in this situation? Could I have shot to the left or the right?’ I’m always analysing my performances and what I do in the final third.
“I had a little bit of a dry patch towards the end of last season but it was good to get one today. Hopefully I can get another one next week.”
The second round draw of the EFL Cup is set to take place at 7.20pm tonight on Sky Sports, just before the Devon derby between Plymouth Argyle and Exeter City.
Nathaniel Chalobah/Picture: Kyle Andrews
‘A fit and firing Chalobah is a quality footballer’
Charlton Athletic handed a one-year contract to well-travelled midfielder Nathaniel Chalobah.
The former England international, 31, made his competitive debut in the win at the weekend.
Chalobah started the EFL Cup tie and was replaced in the 92nd minute by Alan Mwamba. He laid on the pass for Sonny Carey to score the south London club’s second goal.
Chalobah came through Chelsea’s youth set-up and played in the Premier League for Burnley, Watford and Fulham.
He joined the Addicks on trial in pre-season after spending the previous two years at Sheffield Wednesday.
South London Sport: Charlton Athletic Edition asked Joe Crann, who covers the Owls on Substack, for his verdict on Chalobah.
“He is a fantastic player on his day,” said Crann, who is the founder of The Wednesday Word. “He has sadly had a few injury concerns in his career and that is probably one of the reasons he is where he is.
“In terms of his actual quality and ability, he is right up there. He had a very, very tough time at Wednesday with injuries. He would get a few games and then be out for a while again. That seemed to be how his time at Hillsborough was.
“But when he was out on the pitch he was really, really good. Towards the end of last season, when got himself fit again and had a run of games, he looked like a different beast entirely. Hopefully he can find a little bit of consistency, on that front, at Charlton.
“When he is fit and firing then he’s a very good footballer. If Charlton can keep him fit then they’ve got quite a player on their hands.
“He has played for England. I know it was only once, but you don’t play for England if you’ve not got something about you. He had a very, very good upbringing, in terms of his academy roots.
“The way he passes the ball, movement and vision….there were a few times you would see Nate looking for passes that should’ve been on and then getting frustrated when the runner wasn’t making the run he felt they should be, or someone didn’t start that run quickly enough.
“It will be interesting to see how he gets used at Charlton, what sort of role he plays and what they try to do to make sure he is fit as often as possible as well.”
It ended up being a busy end to the week with a number of players heading out on loan.
Isaac Olaofe joined Lincoln City, and there is an option for the Championship newcomers to make that permanent. Keenan Gough moved to Bristol Rovers in League Two while National League South outfit Dorking Wanderers took Josh Laqeretabua on a short-term deal.
Winger Henry Rylah, recalled early from his loan at Derry City, has joined Solihull Moors on a two-month loan.
Egmond adds lot of experience to the ranks
Charlton Athletic Women announced the signing of Emily van Egmond to make it a hat-trick of Australians drafted in since promotion to WSL 1.
Emily van Egmond/Picture: Focus/CAFC
The 33-year-old is her country’s most capped player - 173 matches - and she has won league titles in Germany, with Wolfsburg, and on domestic turf with Melbourne City.
Van Egmond has featured in the English top flight for West Ham United and Leicester City. She played 65 minutes in the Foxes’ play-off loss to Charlton in May.
Joe Sheehan and Rosi Webb have been appointed as first-team assistant coaches. It is a promotion for Webb, who had been U21 manager. Sheehan arrives from Ipswich Town, where he had a seven-year period as boss before a change in January, becoming head of player development and pro game academy manager.
Charlton Athletic chairman Carter plays down sale talk
To quote South London Sport: Charlton Athletic Edition podcast host Louis Mendez, you would have had to have been living under a rock not to see The Guardian story on Monday night claiming that the club was up for sale.
If you did manage to miss last week’s developments then you can listen to our midweek pod - which included an exclusive 20-minute chat with Addicks chairman Gavin Carter. There is also a full transcript of Carter’s answers which can be found here.
Karlan Grant started for Charlton in Saturday’s EFL Cup tie/Picture: Kyle Andrews
Grant explains squad number choice
Karlan Grant has described it as “an honour” to wear the number nine shirt at Charlton Athletic.
The Addicks announced their squad numbers on Thursday.
Grant had the 10 jersey at West Bromwich Albion last season but that number is already taken at Charlton by club captain Greg Docherty.
The number nine had been occupied by Gassan Ahadme in the 2025-26 season but the striker joined Cambridge United on loan last month.
“I think the kitman kind of had it there for me,” Grant told this website. “It was a number that was available and it’s always an honour to wear it. It was a bit more being pushed to me.”
Grant will make it a century of Addicks appearances if he plays against Derby County on Saturday. But he says that he doesn’t keep track of those kinds of statistics.
“No, I genuinely don’t,” said Grant. “So when you hear things like this it’s a really nice feeling. I left when I was young, so to have played 98 games, at the age I did, was an amazing achievement. To come back and hit that milestone is unbelievable.
“I’ve been grateful that ever since I’ve left Charlton I have played a lot of football. I’ve grown, improved and I’m more experienced. It’s always good to hit those numbers and I’m still at a good age.”
Grant had played 90 minutes of friendly football after arriving last month.
Asked how he would rate his fitness and match sharpness levels as a percentage, the Addicks academy product replied: “In football you are never 100 per cent, anyway.
“For me it is that next step, pushing past that 45-minute mark (which he did against Cheltenham). That is the most important thing - recovering well and getting up to speed. I feel good. I’ll blow my tank on Saturday (at Whaddon Road) and see what I can give. I’m progressing in the right manner.”
Dykes heads to The Den
Lyndon Dykes has signed a one-year contract with Millwall.
This website heard that the Lions passed on a deal for the Scottish international striker in the January window. The centre-forward ended up agreeing a termination of his Birmingham City deal and joined Charlton for the second half of the Championship season.
Millwall’s X post after signing Lyndon Dykes
The Addicks announced in May that they were “in discussion” over Dykes extending his stay. The 30-year-old was spotted in pre-season training with Bristol City last month.
“He’s played at both Championship and international level, so he knows the standards required,” said Millwall’s director of football Steve Gallen. “He’s a genuine target man - physical, hard to knock off the ball, and someone who’ll give defenders a different problem to deal with.
“We’ve also seen how demanding this league can be, so he also adds some key depth in the attacking area.”
Dykes did not make Millwall’s matchday squad for their EFL Cup tie against QPR, another of his old clubs.
Other former players on the move
Jayden Stockley has joined AFC Wimbledon on a two-year contract after leaving Port Vale. He said: “As a player you have to be selective about which clubs you choose in your career and I’m extremely happy that my journey has taken me here. I want goals and I’m hungry to score them.”
Burnley have signed goalkeeper Ben Amos until the summer of 2027.