Charlton Athletic: January and summer fears rise after Championship audition | OneFootball

Charlton Athletic wing-back Thierry Small may be on the radar of other clubs after his performance against Preston North End.

Charlton Athletic wing-back Thierry Small may be attracting interest from other clubs, especially after his performance against Preston North End in midweek.

The 20-year-old put in an excellent shift against Preston during the Addicks' FA Cup Third Round defeat at Deepdale on Tuesday night, with his assist for Luke Berry's equalising goal standing out as the highlight of a good night's work for the youngster.

Small has played a key role in Charlton's recent upturn in form, as he has proved to be the solution for Nathan Jones on the right-hand side in the absence of first-choice wing-back Kayne Ramsay, despite usually being more comfortable on the other side of the pitch as a naturally left-footed player.

His ability to provide width in attack and take on his full-back has given the Addicks an outlet that they were missing in previous weeks, and his assist against PNE suggests that he has been working on his final ball, as if he can become consistent with his end product, then he will be able to cause even more problems for any team in League One.

The fact that Small produced such an encouraging performance against Championship opposition will no doubt be pleasing for Nathan Jones, although the Welshman will have concerns that if the youngster continues in his current form, then the Addicks may struggle to keep hold of him.

Charlton may struggle to keep hold of Small

Charlton signed Small on a short-term deal in February last year following his departure from Southampton, and he made an immediate impact at left wing-back during the second half of the campaign as the Addicks put together a 14-game unbeaten run under new boss Jones.

He has had to compete with summer signing Josh Edwards, who has tended to be Jones' preferred choice on the left-hand side when fit, for a place in the starting lineup for much of this season, but he has now made the right wing-back spot his own as Charlton have improved their form, with their recent draw against Reading taking their unbeaten run in the league to six games.

Charlton activated a one-year extension clause that saw Small stay at the club beyond the expiry of his short-term contract last year. However, the youngster has not yet signed the 'long-term' deal that was offered to him shortly before that clause was triggered, meaning that he is set to be out of contract this summer as things stand.

Considering that he is just 20 years old and has been performing well for Charlton, Small may well be on the radar of other clubs that are aware he has entered the final six months of his contract. His performance against Preston will only have encouraged any Championship clubs that are keeping tabs on him to continue monitoring his potential availability.

Jones will no doubt be hoping that he can convince Small to extend his stay in SE7, but the longer it goes on without any news that he has penned a new deal, the risk grows that he will move on either for a fee this month or for a compensation figure in the summer.

Small attracted transfer interest in the summer

If other clubs do register an interest in Small during the current transfer window or the remainder of the campaign, it would not be the first time he has been linked with a move away during his time at The Valley.

Tottenham Hotspur and Derby County were both reportedly keen on a deal to sign Small from Charlton during the summer transfer window, as per Football Insider, with the Premier League side said to be long-term admirers of the former Everton prospect.

Charlton supporters will hope Small decides that first-team football is the priority at this stage of his career and extends his stay at the club, although his recent performance against Championship opposition in Preston will only have encouraged any potential suitors that are considering a January or summer swoop.

It remains to be seen where his future lies, both short and mid-term with the summer, if not this January, sure to cause a few problems.