Charlton Athletic are reportedly interested in Motherwell’s Theo Bair, but Scott Fraser’s future is uncertain.
Charlton Athletic are interested in Motherwell attacker Theo Bair, while midfielder Scott Fraser is poised for talks about his future.
Charlton are preparing for a hectic transfer window under boss Nathan Jones.
The Addicks’ owners have previously indicated their intention to support the Welshman this summer.
Let’s take a look at some prospective incomings and outgoings at Sparrows Lane that might help Charlton start the summer on a good note.
In: Theo Bair
According to Richard Cawley, Charlton are interested in signing Theo Bair, Motherwell’s Canadian striker.
Following the confirmation that Connor Wickham’s short-term contract would not be extended, the Addicks now have four strikers under contract for next season. Chuks Aneke and Miles Leaburn missed significant portions of the 2023/24 season due to injuries, therefore it is not surprising that Charlton are looking for another forward option.
Bair has 15 goals and four assists in Scotland’s top flight this season. The 24-year-old, who began his career with the Vancouver Whitecaps of the Major League Soccer, has been in exceptional form in Scotland. He scored 13 goals in his last 16 league games for Motherwell.
The striker is six feet and three inches tall and has played for the Canadian national team twice, scoring in his debut in a 4-1 friendly victory over Barbados in 2020.
Charlton would be needed to pay a price to bring Bair to SE7, since the striker’s contract expires in the summer of 2025. Bair would bolster the Addicks’ offensive options, which currently feature League One Golden Boot winner Alfie May, promising youngster Daniel Kanu, Aneke, and Leaburn.
Andy Scott, Charlton’s technical director, has spoken about the necessity to ensuring the Addicks have adequate strikers next season.
Out: Scott Fraser
Scott Fraser, a Scottish midfielder, played the second half of the season on loan at Hearts. The Edinburgh Evening News said that Fraser and his family ‘would hope to move back north’ this summer, with the 29-year-old set to return to Sparrows Lane for pre-season.
When Fraser arrived at The Valley from Ipswich Town on deadline day in January 2022, there was hope for the midfielder’s future with the club.
However, it looks that the on-loan Hearts player sees his future back in Scotland. Despite the fact that he has yet to score or assist in the league for Hearts, manager Steven Naismith stated that he will “make a decision at the conclusion of
“The season” in terms of Fraser’s future.
The former MK Dons star expects to address his future when he returns to south London in the summer, since his Charlton contract expires in 2025. It remains to be seen whether he returns to Tynecastle on another loan or permanently, but he appears to be aiming for a full-time return to his home country.
During his time at The Valley, the Scot has played for four different permanent managers and made 67 League One appearances. Fraser’s most successful Charlton season was in 2022/23, when he scored nine goals and assisted five times as the Addicks finished tenth in the third division.
Fraser struggled to make an impression at Charlton in the first half of the season, scoring only one goal in 16 appearances before being loaned out in January. He stated that “injury has been the most significant factor this season,” which may explain his poor season both north and south of the border.
If Charlton can bring in Bair and offload Fraser, it will be a very positive start to the transfer window.
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