Cardiff City: Fresh Nathan Jones update emerges amid potential Charlton Athletic stand-off | OneFootball

The Bluebirds are still on the lookout for Omer Riza's permanent successor

Cardiff City now have Nathan Jones as their number one target to succeed Omer Riza as their manager, but they face a potential road block for the Charlton Athletic boss due to compensation.

According to TEAMtalk, the man who guided the Addicks back to the Championship with a 1-0 victory over Leyton Orient in the League One play-off final last Sunday is the Bluebirds' main target, but a move from South London back to his native South Wales could hinge on financial ramifications.

Cardiff will officially swap places with Charlton when the 2024/25 season officially concludes on June 30th, having endured an extremely chaotic and dismal campaign, as the side fighting against the drop for the entire season ended the campaign propping up the second tier, and will now play at third tier level for the first time since 2002/03, when the club still played at Ninian Park.

Plenty of names have been linked with the vacancy since Omer Riza was relieved of his duties over the Easter Weekend, but the City hierarchy may find it challenging to poach their prime target from the Valley.

Charlton Athletic demanding major compensation package as Nathan Jones linked with Cardiff City move

Jones was linked with a move to the Cardiff City Stadium last September following the dismissal of Erol Bulut, with Wales Online recently revealing the likelihood of the 52-year-old being one of many candidates to take the reins.

And, as per TEAMtalk's latest update on the long-standing managerial search conducted by the likes of Vincent Tan and Mehmet Dalman, Jones has been named as the club's number-one target, with previous comments regarding his connections to the club gaining the attention of Cardiff's Malaysian owner.

However, it has been stated that "striking the deal is no simple task" for the hierarchy, with his current employers expected to demand a significant compensation package if the Welshman was to depart immediately after their promotion success in North London.

Jones isn't said to be wanting an immediate departure from SE7 despite his well-documented affinities to Cardiff, with respective figures at both clubs set to have a major say on what occurs before any final decision is made.

Jones never played for the South Wales outfit despite growing up in the nearby town of Blaenrhondda, and throughout his playing and managerial career, is best known for his long-standing connections with Brighton and Hove Albion, Yeovil Town and Luton Town, as well as a failed stint at Southampton in the Premier League.

He signed a 'long-term' contract in South London in February 2024 and has become a cult hero with Addicks fans for winning 36 of his first 73 games in charge, and previously stated that he wouldn't be disrespectful to the club when spelling out his links to the Bluebirds.

"When this kind of stuff comes up I’m very flattered to be linked with that. One day – I’ve made no secret and been totally open – I would like to manage Cardiff. It is my home town club – my dad lives close," he told the South London Press nine months ago.

“But, right now, I have got a fantastic job and I’m at a wonderful club where I’m really, really looking to build something.

“So that is where we are. I won’t be disrespectful to anyone in any way. So for me it is nothing – I get on with my job day to day and I love my job here and the people I work with. I’ve asked a lot of people to buy-in to that. There is nothing to say really.”