Friday 5 June 2009

Talks about retaining Zheng Zhi

Charlton are holding talks regarding new deals with out-of-contract players Jonathan Fortune, Matt Holland, Darren Randolph and Zheng Zhi, the club revealed this morning. Fortune is needed in defence, Randolph is still required as back up goalkeeper and Matt Holland can still do a job for us.

Zheng Zhi would be a valuable asset but would not come cheap. However, there has been talk of the possibility of a specific Chinese sponsorship.

However, Harry Arter, Darren Ambrose, Svetoslav Todorov, Nicky Weaver, Aswad Thomas and Rashid Yussuff will not be offered new contracts when their current agreements expire on June 30th. None of these is a surprise and in the case of Ambrose he had already been announced as the Glaziers' secret weapon in the biggest bombshell to hit South London since the last V2 rocket.

Another player whose time in SE7 concludes at the end of the month, midfielder Josh Wright - who finished the season helping loan club Gillingham gain promotion to League One via the play-offs - is exercising his right to talk to other clubs. His father has been bigging him up.

The club seems pleased that 7,625 or 58 per cent of season ticket holders have renewed. It could be a lot worse, but it is not that good as (depending on further renewals) it implies that some crowds could be under 10,000.

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