Transfer talk

There's a veritable flood of transfer speculation involving Charlton today, although whether any of it will end in a signing is another matter.

Let's start with the strikers. Pards is already said to have bid £1m for Burnley's Andy Gray who at 30 is the No.3 striker in the Championship. However, the Clarets have no particular need to sell and Cardiff and Ipswich are also after him, offering a cash plus players deal. Certainly we would have to offer more than £1m to land him.

Then there is Joe Garner at Carlisle who cost them £140,000 two years ago. However, Carlisle supremo John Ward thinks he is 'too young and raw' to appear at a higher level. Sounds like another McLeod to me.

Then we have been linked with two non-league strikers. Stuart Fleetwood at Forest Green Rovers who has scored 26 goals this season and is supposedly valued at £250,000. Then there is Steve Morison at Stevenage but apparently Colchester are after him as well. I don't know why we just don't sign some players from Leamington, only one of them is under contract.

The one midfielder that has been mentioned is Matt Spring who was at Watford, but was signed by Luton for £200,000. There's a fire sale going on at Luton and no doubt the guy would be glad of a regular wage instead of being paid less than one week in three. However, Palace are also in the frame.

We have also been linked with Paul Connolly who is a right back at Plymouth, but with Mouto2 improving, I wouldn't have thought that was our priority.

Joe the Saint tells me that a new offer has come in for Southampton, so once again the money is going elsewhere in the Championship.