Dom Ball is expected to leave the Tractor Boys this summer, and hooking up with the Addicks may be a match made in heaven.
The transfer speculation season has officially begun in League One, with third-tier clubs already beginning to consider their possibilities for the upcoming season as the summer begins.
Charlton Athletic will be no exception, with the Addicks seeking to develop a side capable of competing at the division’s top level in the coming season, following the promising start of Nathan Jones’ career at The Valley.
The South London side appear to be headed into the upcoming campaign without current captain George Dobson, with the skipper poised to join Hungarian side Fehervar after signing.
A pre-contract agreement was signed in February.
That will leave them hunting high and low for a player capable of delivering performances of the same caliber as the 26-year-old’s during his three-year spell in the capital, and they have a man in Ipswich Town’s Dom Ball who can fill the gap.
Dom Ball’s move from Ipswich Town could benefit Charlton Athletic.
Since joining Athletic from Sunderland in 2021, Dobson’s commanding presence in the heart of the midfield has served as the glue that has held the team together.
The former Walsall man has played over 120 games in the last three seasons and has evolved into a talented performer, with current manager Jones expressing his wish to keep him at The Valley beyond the conclusion of the season.
It appears that he will be going, with the Charlton manager looking for replacements who can keep the team humming as the departed captain did throughout his stay at the club.
With the regular process of players’ contracts expiring in June, there is plenty of room for replacements to be brought in on cheap agreements, and one standout from the level above is Ipswich Town’s Ball.
The former Queens Park Rangers man will see his contract come to an end at Portman Road this summer, bringing an end to his two-ear association with the Suffolk side, and leaving him in search of a new challenge.
Having only featured 35 times during his time with the Tractor Boys, Ball will be looking to reignite his career with a summer move, and a drop down in division could give him the impetus to start performing as we have seen him do so before.
Having been something of a regular during his time at Loftus Road, a damaged meniscus in November 2022 scuppered his chances of contributing regularly for Kieran McKenna’s side during their victorious League One campaign, with more than four months on the sidelines.
With further recruits added over the previous summer, the midfielder has found game time all the more scarce during their Championship promotion hunt, with a move away from the club becoming all the more likely as time goes on.
Having secured a move to League One to progress his career in the past, it could well be the same story for Ball this summer, with Athletic the perfect destination for him to start getting back to running the show in the centre of the park.
With over 200 career appearances to his name, the midfielder fits the bill for Jones and the Addicks, with the Welshman securing the services of some experienced heads in his early days in charge at The Valley.
The likes of Connor Wickham and Kazenga LuaLua were both brought in on short-term deals towards the end of the 23/24 campaign to add that much-need experience, and Ball is another that fits the bill in terms of having been there and done it.
That is exactly the sort of mentality you need in a team that is going to continue to challenge at the top during the slog that is a League One season, with experienced campaigners lending a hand to the exuberance of youth to keep the results coming.
Ball’s metronomic style in the centre of the pitch would offer that in spades, with his calm and assured performances controlling matters for his side, and allowing those in front of him to produce the goods to win games.
George Dobson, Dom Ball contract latest
With Ipswich on the cusp of securing a sensation promotion to the Premier League, Ball’s time as a Town player looks set to end when his contract elapses at the end of next month.
It is a similar story for Dobson, who has all but said his goodbyes after being questioned on his future at the club’s Player of the Year awards.
He said: “It’s an incredible football club. Whatever happens, I have had the most incredible three years. To captain this football club has been the best honour in my career “With football, some people work for football teams, while others do not. “I was at Sunderland, an incredible football club, but I didn’t work there and didn’t play very well.”I’ve arrived to Charlton and we’ve just clicked on and off the pitch. They have been wonderfully welcoming to my family. I’ve stayed fit, played well, and the fans have praised me. “I have always appreciated them.”
With the writing appearing on the wall, Charlton will be seeking to complete their summer business as quickly as possible, and with Ball potentially available, they should be doing everything they can to secure his services during the offseason.
Jones has had just two defeats in his 16 matches as Athletic manager, but he has only four triumphs and ten draws.
The former Southampton manager has his team steadfast and difficult to beat, and with the addition of a little extra quality – much like Ball – the Addicks might morph into play-off candidates next season.
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