Ronnie Schwartz

Last time we bought a player called Ronnie, we all had to dig deep into our pockets to afford him. Almost 40 years later that won’t be necessary this time as Thomas Sandgaard appears desperate to part with some his well earned Krone.

Schwartz has been on Sandgaard’s shopping list since he bought the Addicks just prior to the end of the ‘summer’ transfer window in October. I’m not sure how much Steve Gallen knew of the Midtjylland striker, but I’m hoping that since then the 31-year old has passed the Gallen & Bowyer sniff test, as we’ve had our fill of players hoisted own management by owners.

The fact we need more firepower is indisputable, and Schwartz has a good pedigree. He was last season’s top scorer in the Danish Superliga with 18 goals, and has scored 51 goals since returning to Denmark in the summer of 2018 after two seasons in Belgium, and one in Norway.

Schwartz made his name at Randers, where he plundered 44 goals in three seasons in his early 20’s which put him on the radar of other European leagues, and in 2014 he moved to Ligue 1 in France with Guingamp.

Danish champions FC Midtjylland came calling a year ago and signed Schwartz from bottom club Silkeborg for a fee of £350,000. He then went onto score 6 goals in 15 games and collected a league champions medal.

What has happened since is a little bit odd. It is not known, other than being a countryman, how Sandgaard knew Schwartz, but he made a big play for the Dane in the dying embers of that belated summer transfer window, and thought he had secured him from Midtjylland with a bid of £250,000, yet at the very last minute Ronnie decided to stay in Denmark much to TS’ obvious disappointment.

In the few months since then Schwartz has been completely frozen out of the first team by Midtjylland, and made just one sub appearance in the Danish Cup, and was training with the reserves.

Schwartz was at The Valley with Sandgaard recently as they put the touches to his January move. His fitness won’t be the best, but in the next few days Ronnie looks like becoming Thomas Sandgaard’s first money signing, at a fee much discounted from that offered in the summer.

We’ve had a few Danish players over the years, some we romantically remember. Schwartz might be more Johnny Ostergaard than Alan Simonsen, in size at least, but I’d be alright if he was a little Ronnie Moore, and I get to keep my £1 in my pocket!