Cardiff City have suffered huge blow in their managerial search following the news that primary candidate Nathan Jones has committed his future to Charlton Athletic.
The Bluebirds opted to part company with Omer Riza in April after a string of poor results left them in danger of dropping out of the Championship. Midfielder Aaron Ramsey was handed the reins until the end of the season but he was unable to turn things around, and the club eventually finished bottom of the table.
Links almost immediately surfaced to Charlton Athletic boss Nathan Jones, who has made no secret of his desire to manage his boyhood club in the future. However, things became more complicated as the former Luton Town manager guided the Addicks to the second tier courtesy of a play-off final win over Leyton Orient.
Despite that, it was claimed yesterday that Jones remained their primary target although various approaches had been rebuffed by Charlton.
Jones Puts An End To Speculation
There was concerns at the London-based outfit that the 52-year-old could have his head turned by Cardiff, even with the pair swapping divisions next season. That has now been put to bed though, with Jones agreeing a huge five-year deal to remain at The Valley.
Speaking following the announcement, he said:
“I’m very proud and delighted. I still had three years left but for the club to come to me and want to continue that journey meant a lot to me because it’s a club that I love.
“We’ve just taken one big step, but that’s only one big step, we still have a long way to go to achieve our goals and I’m glad that I’ll continue to work towards that.”
Cardiff will now have to shift their attention elsewhere. Others linked with the role include Ian Evatt, Des Buckingham and current interim Aaron Ramsey.
Writer’s View
The length of the deal handed to Nathan Jones shows just how keen Charlton were to keep hold of their manager. A five-year contract is virtually unheard of for a manager in the EFL and shows that they thoroughly believe they have the right man to take them to the next level. Obviously, they would also have been well aware of Cardiff’s interest and Jones’ past statements saying it is a job that interests him greatly, which would have played a part in the negotiations. The Bluebirds will now have to revert to plan B.
