2 perfect Matty Godden upgrades Charlton Athletic must consider if Championship promotion is sealed | OneFootball

We looked at two strikers who should be on Charlton Athletic's radar to replace Matty Godden if they are promoted to the Championship.

After years of underachievement, it has been a much-improved campaign for Charlton Athletic in League One this season.

It looked as though Charlton were heading for another season of mid-table mediocrity when they sat as low as 14th in the middle of December, but a run of just three defeats in their last 24 league games has seen them emerge as serious promotion contenders.

The fifth-placed Addicks were held to a 2-2 draw by Lincoln City at The Valley on Saturday, and that looks to have ended their faint automatic promotion hopes, but as they are currently seven points clear of seventh-placed Bolton Wanderers with just five games remaining, they look to be guaranteed a play-off spot.

One of the big question marks hanging over Charlton heading into the season was how they would cope without star striker Alfie May, who scored 27 goals in 50 games last season, and manager Nathan Jones was criticised by some supporters for allowing him to join promotion rivals Birmingham City in the summer.

However, while he has not quite been able to reach the same numbers as May, Matty Godden has proven to be a more than capable replacement for the Addicks since his summer move from Coventry City, scoring 17 goals in 41 appearances in all competitions so far this season.

During his time with the Sky Blues, Godden showed that he can score goals at Championship level, but he will be 34 by the time the new season gets underway, and it remains to be seen whether he could still perform in the second tier if Charlton are promoted.

With that in mind, we looked at two potential Godden upgrades the Addicks should consider ahead of the summer transfer window.

Alassana Jatta

Little was known about striker Alassana Jatta when he joined Notts County from Danish side Viborg last January for a fee of just over £100,000, but he has certainly made a name for himself in the EFL over the past 18 months.

The Magpies have unearthed plenty of gems in the transfer market in recent years, and Jatta has been one of their best additions, with the 26-year-old producing prolific form to fire his side into promotion contention in League Two.

After scoring five goals in 10 games in the second half of last season following his arrival at Meadow Lane, Jatta has taken his form to another level this campaign, scoring 20 goals in 37 appearances in all competitions so far to help Stuart Maynard's men up to sixth in the table.

Jatta's performances have not gone unnoticed, and according to The Guardian, Plymouth Argyle made a £750,000 bid for the striker in January, but their offer was rejected as it fell short of Notts' valuation, which is believed to be more than £1 million.

The Pilgrims were not the only side keeping tabs on Jatta in January, with Portsmouth and Bolton also said to have been keen, and further interest seems inevitable in the summer, regardless of whether the Magpies are promoted or not.

Of course, there is no guarantee that Jatta will be able to make the step up from League Two to the Championship, and the struggles of his former team-mate Macaulay Langstaff at Millwall this season offer a warning about the potential risks of recruiting from the fourth tier.

However, the Gambian international has proven that he can be a clinical goalscorer, as well as possessing strong aerial ability and hold-up play, which could make him perfectly suited to the style of football Jones employs at Charlton.

Emil Riis

It remains to be seen what kind of budget Jones will be given in the summer if Charlton are promoted to the Championship, but the Welshman has found plenty of bargains throughout his managerial career, and the free agent market is one he could look to explore.

One player who may be available on a free transfer in the summer is Preston North End striker Emil Riis, and he could help to bring crucial second tier quality to the Addicks' forward line.

Riis has scored 44 goals in 181 appearances for the Lilywhites since joining the club from Danish side Randers in October 2020, with his best season coming in the 2021-22 campaign when he netted an impressive 20 times in 49 games.

The 26-year-old has been unable to hit those heights again in the subsequent years, but he was forced to spend almost a year on the sidelines after suffering a serious knee injury in January 2023, and now he is back to full fitness, he has scored a respectable 10 goals in 45 appearances for Paul Heckingbottom's side this season.

If Riis could reach similar numbers for Charlton next season, that could go a long way to helping the club secure survival in the second tier, and he would be able to provide the physical presence that Jones is known to appreciate in his strikers.

With his contract at Deepdale set to expire in the summer, there is no sign that Riis is willing to commit his future to North End imminently, and while he was linked with Sunderland and Sheffield United in January, both of those clubs may decide against renewing their interest in the summer if they are promoted to the Premier League, which could open the door for other Championship clubs to make a move.