Charlton Athletic head coach Nathan Jones has admitted that he wants captain George Dobson to stay at the club next season after he penned a pre-contract with Fehervar.
The Addicks came from 2-1 down to earn a point at home against Wigan Athletic on Tuesday, extending their unbeaten run to 12 matches in League One, a streak which spans back to Jones’ first game in charge when his side were defeated 2-0 away at Reading.
An own goal from Charlie Hughes opened the scoring at The Valley last night but a brace from Charlie Kelman in quick succession just after the hour mark clawed the Latics in front. However, the hosts kept their unbeaten run intact when George Dobson made an impressive pass to Chuks Aneke, who scored the equaliser 11 minutes from the end as the game finished 2-2.
Chuks heading home @georgedobson97's perfect cross 🎯#cafc pic.twitter.com/28fqqgZPRJ
— Charlton Athletic FC (@CAFCofficial) April 10, 2024
This was Dobson’s third assist of the campaign in all competitions and potentially his last for Charlton Athletic depending on how the final three fixtures of the season go. Throughout 2023/24, the skipper has made 45 appearances for the Addicks, proving his worth to the team.
Unfortunately, following a move that broke down in February, the 26-year-old signed a pre-contract agreement with Hungarian outfit Fehervar, meaning he is set to join up with the side at the start of the summer transfer window.
Speaking after the 1-1 draw with Wigan, head coach Jones stated that he wants Dobson to stay in South London and that he’s a better footballer than “people give him credit for” [quotes via London News Online]:
“It would be disrespectful for me to say anything about Hungary but what we’re saying is he’s good enough for Charlton. That’s all we care about,” Jones said.
“He’s signed some pre-contract in Hungary. That’s the thing so we have no idea [what his future is]. We want George Dobson to stay, he’s been fantastic. We want to keep as many good players as we can and people who can affect a football game.
“He affects a football game. When you look at him, he creates chances for people. He takes on board stuff. The one where he was sliding in, he puts the best ball of the game in. People think he’s an out-of-possession player because he runs about, slides in and wins it so people think he’s a defensive midfield player,” he continued.
“He’s not, he’s a better footballer than people give him credit for. I’ve seen that and I’ve recognised that. He’s affected pretty much every game of football he’s played for us and that’s all you can ask for from a midfielder.”
Writer’s View
Dobson is one of the better players at Charlton Athletic, hence why he garnered interest from teams abroad such as Fehervar. However, it would be interesting to see whether the captain would still have agreed to move to Hungary had Jones taken over a little earlier in the season, perhaps after Dean Holden departed.
It’s not very clear exactly what his pre-contract with Fehervar entails but the manager seems to believe there is still a chance that Dobson can stay at the club beyond the summer, although this certainly seems unlikely.
