Charlton Athletic completed the signing of Josh Parker on a six-month loan deal from Gillingham on Transfer deadline day.
His arrival follows the departure of the club’s second highest scorer with 14 league goals Karlan Grant who signed for Huddersfield Town in a £2 million deal.
Lee Bowyer will be keen for the 28-year-old to fill the void left behind by Grant who proved himself to be an integral part of his side at the Valley.
The striker came off the bench to make his debut on Saturday for the south east London club in a 1-0 defeat to Fleetwood Town.
Surprising Move
Speaking exclusively to Rising East about Parker’s arrival, BBC London Charlton correspondent Louis Mendez said: “It was a surprising one. Fans would remember him after he scored at The Valley for Gills last season but his arrival on a short-term deal came out of the nowhere.
“With Billy Clarke and Nicky Ajose both also leaving this January, Parker is a good addition, but few expect him to be as potent as Karlan Grant.”
Parker’s Profile
Parker is a versatile forward who can play anywhere in attack and he will be keen to add to his tally of four league goals for the season.
When questioned about whether he thought Parker was the right fit for the Addicks, the Charlton reporter added: “He has experience at this level and Charlton’s head scout Steve Gallen knows him from their days at QPR together.”
“Bowyer and Gallen’s recruitment has been pretty spot-on this season despite budget constraints.”
“You’d expect that Gallen will know how the Charlton boss would be able to get the best out of Parker.”
“Anyone who partners Lyle Taylor will be provided with plenty of goal-scoring chances as well, so Parker will need to make the most of them.”
Loanee Failure
However, according to Mendez, Bowyer was keen to add another option, with Charlton pushing to complete another deal on deadline day.
Mo Eisa from Bristol City was the player the club from the Valley attempted and failed to land on the final day of the January window.
Mendez added: “Any bodies coming in will help because Charlton don’t have many options up top at the moment, but Bowyer’s ultimately failed to sign another loanee on transfer deadline day – that probably shows he still felt there was a link missing in his side after Grant leaving.”
“Mo Eisa at Bristol City was believed to be that elusive player, I think his goal record at Cheltenham Town suggested he could have better filled the role that is currently vacant at The Valley.”
Chance For The Youngster
Mendez added about Grant’s departure: “Obviously there’s no getting away from the fact that this is a big loss for the team. Grant’s partnership with Lyle Taylor has been a big part of Charlton’s success this season.”
“His pace has scared the life out of defences and fourteen goals in half a season will be difficult for any side to replace.”
Against Fleetwood, Reeco Hackett-Fairchild was the player tasked with stepping up to fill the void left behind by Grant.
Despite his failure to score, Mendez remains hopeful the youngster can be the man to replace Grant, but he has also tipped new signing Josh Parker to make an impact.
When asked about how the Addicks will cope without the 21-year-old and who could replace him, Mendez told Rising East: “To be honest, it remains to be seen. Josh Parker’s arrival from Gillingham may help to plug the gap but he has never been as prolific in-front of goal as Grant had been this year.
“I also believe that Hackett-Fairchild will need to take his chance to prove his worth to the side. He’s made just one league start now for the Addicks. I hope that he will explode into life like Grant did in the summer.”
Play-Offs Race
Defeat to Fleetwood saw Charlton drop a place in League One into fifth, but they remain firmly in the race for the play-offs, with a seven-point advantage over Doncaster Rovers.
When questioned about Charlton’s chances of promotion, Mendez told the site: “I do believe the club’s promotion hopes have been knocked by Grant’s departure, but they should still have enough to make the play-offs.”
