El-Hadji Ba to sign
What’s left of the first team squad go back for pre-season training tomorrow at Sparrows Lane and word is that they may be joined by a second summer signing.
Sunderland’s French midfielder, El-Hadji Ba, is set to join the Addicks on a 3-year deal. The deep lying midfielder only played 90 minutes over three games for the Black Cats but he did score a goal. He was signed as a free-agent in 2013 after playing for Le Havre.
Last season he was on a season long loan back in Ligue 1 with Bastia but only played 7 games until getting injured in October. The fee might well be undisclosed but I would hope he would be coming to us for nothing.
Both Jordan Cousins and Alou Diarra occupy a similar position but so did Yoni Buyens, who won’t be returning after moving to Genk. No disrepect to the Frenchman, but I truly hope he is not a replacement for Cousins, who is still being tracked by Aston Villa.
What is required though is bodies, ideally better than what we have already, if we are to show any ambition beyond survival. Hopefully more will follow Bauer and Ba because I’ve counted the number of first team players that will return to training tomorrrow and I didn’t need much more than my fingers and one set of toes!
UPDATE: El-Hadji-Ba signed on Monday evening for an undisclosed fee. 3 year deal.
Richard Crawley of SLP is saying transfer coup on the cards, set to sign Simon Makienok on loan for the season from serie A side Palermo, A danish full international. A charlton supporter by all accounts. this is paqrt of what wikipedia says on him : Simon Makienok Christoffersen (born 21 November 1990) is a Danish footballer who plays as a striker for the Serie A side Palermo. Makienok has also represented Denmark at senior and several youth levels. Makienok had been a lifelong Charlton Athletic fan after watching Eddie Youds solid defensive displays in 2000.