Charlton Athletic are eyeing up a move for Cambridge United’s Player of the Year Lloyd Jones, according to reports from London News Online.
The 27-year-old is set to leave the U’s at the end of the month following his contract expiration, and has already received interest from other League One clubs. So far, Peterborough United and Wycombe Wanderers have made moves for the player, therefore the Addicks will have to act fast if they want to pursue Jones further.
Who Is Lloyd Jones?
Born in Plymouth and joining the Pilgrims’ youth setup at nine, the centre-back caught the eye of Premier League side Liverpool at 15 and moved for a fee of £150,000. Signing for a significant price at such a young age, Jones quickly contributed to the Reds’ youth teams and captained the reserved team between 2013 and 2015.
Spending seven years with the 19x English Champions, the defender failed to make an appearance for the first team and was sent on short loans to Cheltenham Town, Accrington Stanley, Blackpool and Swindon Town during the end of his time with the club.
Moving permanently to Luton Town in 2018, Jones spent more time out on loan and eventually found consistency with Northampton Town. Securing promotion with the Cobblers during a loan spell, the centre-back would sign on a permanent move the following year.
Only lasting a year with Northampton, the defender has spent the last two seasons with Cambridge, where he won the U’s Player of the Year this past season.
Interest Building
With Jones solidifying himself as a consistent League One performer over the last few years, it’s not surprising to see three third-tier clubs eyeing up a move for the player. Jones is free to officially sign with a new team on July 1st, so expect to see more movement on a deal as the race heats up for the defender’s signature.
Writer’s View
While the defender has struggled to live up to his early hype as a youngster, over the last few years Jones has started to blossom into a consistent EFL defender. Coming off the back of a great year with Cambridge, where he scored four goals and kept seven clean sheets, Jones now has the power to decide his next destination.
With Charlton, Posh and Wycombe all potential destinations for the defender, Jones is close to entering his prime and could develop even more under all these promising sides.
