Charlton finally completed the deal to bring Kilmarnock’s Northern Ireland international striker, Josh Magennis, to The Valley on Thursday.
The tall, pacy striker is likely to be a real handful in League One. The need for such a player was clearly highlighted at Cheltenham on Tuesday evening.
Lacking a focal point, the Addicks posed no aerial threat until Roger Johnson moved up front at the death. It wasonly then that Charlton were able to get on the end of balls pumped forward.
The deal has taken a while to complete, Russell Slade was hoping to have Magennis available for the season opener at Bury.
Then it was thought the deal would be done early this week, but it was finally concluded on Thursday.
25-year-old Magennis has signed a two-year deal, and Slade was naturally delighted to have finally got his man:
“Josh (Magennis) will give us a real physical presence up front. He has progressed his career over recent years and I see him as a late developer, because the early part of his career, as many people will know, wasn’t as a forward.
“He has developed that, has got himself in his national team, and featured in the Euros this summer. He can score a goal, has got pace, will bring plenty to us and will cause a lot of problems to back fours in this league.
“He was a target that we had been trying to get over the line for a few weeks. In fact, we had him done at one stage, but it didn’t happen because the goalposts were moved.
“Fair play to Katrien (Meire), she got round the table again and managed to get the deal over the line again.
“Sometimes you think you have got your man and then things can change, but we dealt with that situation in a real professional manner and managed to get our man,” said Slade.
Charlton completed the signing of Jordan Botaka on a season long loan on Thursday afternoon.
Botaka joined Leeds last summer for what is believed to be a seven figure fee.
He is a Congolese international winger.
Now 23-years-old, Botaka made 13 appearances in the Championship for Leeds last season, 10 of them as a substitute.
He will bring pace and creativity to the Addicks’ midfield.
Botaka’s quick feet and trickery have earned him the nickname of the Wizard.
Magennis and Botaka became Slade’s eighth and ninth signings of the summer.
TAGS: Charlton Athletic