When you take into account the ambition of their fellow newly promoted League One sides, Birmingham City and Wrexham, the Addicks were going to have to outperform three established second-tier sides to avoid an immediate third-tier return, and, while they looked a little shaky between November and January, they seem to be okay.
One main factor in their stabilised form in 2026 is the leadership provided by veteran defender Conor Coady, who joined on loan from Wrexham until the end of the season in the latter stages of the January transfer window. Despite starting the opening five games of the campaign at the Stok Cae Ras, he’d only seen the pitch in the EFL Cup from then onwards at his parent club.
The 33-year-old has surprisingly been deployed in midfield during his time at the Valley thus far, but his impact has still been there to see, with Nathan Jones’ side keeping four clean sheets in the seven Championship games he has started.
Despite this, Charlton fan pundit Chris Woodward has advised the Addicks against making Coady’s move permanent, stating that “he is the type of player you want when you’re struggling or scrapping for survival, but that’s about it.”
How much Conor Coady earns at Wrexham
With Woodward feeling that Charlton should be looking to establish themselves away from danger next season, Coady doesn’t seem to be someone who fits the bill. However, his wage situation may also affect the Addicks’ ability to bring him in permanently at the conclusion of this term.
The 33-year-old had been a well-established Premier League centre-back for the better part of seven years after helping Wolves win the championship in 2018, with his only campaign back in the second tier since then coming with Leicester City in the 2023/24 season.
Therefore, he’s been on a decent wage for the majority of his career, and even though he returned to the Championship this past summer when he signed for Wrexham, the Red Dragons are one of the few sides in the second-tier who can offer a wage akin to some of the lower ones seen at Premier League clubs.
Per Capology’s estimates, Coady has been earning £25,000 per week this season, which is actually an estimated £30,000 per week less than he was earning at Wolves and Everton and a whopping £50,000 per week less than at Leicester.
When comparing that to his teammates at the Valley, the 33-year-old is the highest earner, earning an estimated £5,000 per week more than goalkeeper Thomas Kaminski.
A permanent Conor Coady deal would be illogical for Charlton Athletic on current terms
Coady has significantly impacted Charlton by helping the club avoid the bottom three and become more defensively solid.
But, even if Woodward and his fellow Addicks fans were keen for him to continue his career at the Valley, it would make little sense for Charlton to pursue a deal if the 33-year-old was still looking for a similar deal to his current one.
The Addicks would be better suited to bring in two or three younger defensive midfielders or centre-backs who have a higher ceiling than Coady and would, per week, cost as much as the Wrexham loanee would, combined.
The former Wolves captain is coming towards the twilight of his career, so for a side that is hoping to progress forward and look ahead, it doesn’t seem that Coady and Charlton should be a long-term match, especially under the current deal he is on.
Be the first to comment