Why signing Andre Green is the right move for Charlton Athletic

According to the South London Press, Charlton Atheltic have secured the services of Andre Green on loan from Aston Villa until the end of the ongoing campaign, with the winger becoming the Addicks’ first signing of the January window.

The 21-year-old spent the first half of the campaign on loan at Preston North End in the Championship. He was recalled by the Villans after he fell out of favour under Alex Neil and Charlton capitalized on the opportunity to snap him up during the mid-season transfer window.

Green failed to start even a single league fixture for the Lilywhites in the Championship, clocking up a meagre 87 minutes across 4 substitute appearances, with his last appearance for Preston coming as a cameo against Leeds United back in October.

Image result for andre green" — Andre Green has struggled to establish himself at Aston Villa since coming through the youth ranks (Getty Images)

The Solihull-born winger, who rose through the youth ranks of Aston Villa, became one of the youngest players to represent the club when he made his professional debut in the Premier League against Tottenham back in the 2015-16 season.

Having played a bit-part role for the Villans in the Championship during the 2016-17 campaign and missed large quarters of the following season due to an extended injury-layoff, Green dropped down a division to join Portsmouth in League One prior to the start of the previous campaign.

However, he was recalled in January 2019 by Villa manager Dean Smith, who went on to utilize him as a squad player during the second half of the campaign as the club went on to secure promotion.

Green made 22 appearances and also played a part in both legs of the play-off semi-finals, as well as in the victory over Derby County in the final at Wembley.

Meanwhile, Charlton Athletic’s 3-2 victory over Bristol City on Boxing Day proved to be a false dawn as the Addicks went down 2-1 to Derby County on Tuesday, and the trip to the Liberty Stadium to face Swansea City comes as yet another stiff test for Lee Bowyer’s side.

The Addicks currently find themselves placed 19th in the standings, just five points clear of the relegation zone after a complete U-turn of fortunes following a bright start to the campaign back in August and Bowyer has a real battle on his hands to prevent the club from going straight back down to the League One.

Injuries have played a big role in their undoing this term, with as many as 11 first-team players currently on the treatment table, including key ones like Josh Cullen, Jonathan Leko, Jonathan Williams, Sam Field and Macauley Bonne.

To put things into perspective, Charlton definitely need to replace at least some of the injury-hit players with fresh faces in the January window and it is easy to see why the arrival of Andre Green is a step in the right direction for the Addicks. To add to the positives, Green’s contract with Charlton would be much below the average Championship wage which makes it ideal for Lee Bowyer

Verdict

As per the report, Bowyer has confirmed that Green has been signed as a replacement for Jonathan Leko, who contributed with 5 goals and 4 assists in 21 appearances since joining on loan from West Brom in the summer.

Leko has been ruled out with a knee injury for the remainder of the campaign but he was an influential figure for the Addicks in front of the goal, with Bowyer often using him as a second striker up top. The manager is expecting Green to play a similar kind of role at the Valley. (h/t South London Press)

Bowyer has showered praises on the 21-year-old as a quick, young and exciting player, insisting that the former England U20 international could add a lot more pace to the team’s attack while also playing in front of goal alongside someone like Lyle Taylor.

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Having said that, the fans will be hoping that the acquisition of Andre Green alleviates a fraction of the ongoing injury crisis at The Valley, as the Addicks look forward to a big impact from the Aston Villa starlet in the coming months in their bid for survival in the Championship.