Few people would have predicted Charlton Athletic’s fast start to life back in the Championship.

The Addicks have won their two opening league games of the season, beating Blackburn Rovers 2-1 at Ewood Park on the opening weekend and then registering a 3-1 win against Stoke City on Saturday.

Lee Bowyer’s side currently sit second in the Championship and, while it is very early days, you have to admire their start after having to be clever in the transfer window.

With the financial restrictions understood to be on the club as owner Roland Duchatelet looks to sell, Bowyer did not have a lot of money to spend over the summer but still managed to add 12 new faces to his squad.

The Addicks could be about to add another forward, as, according to the Evening Standard, they are waiting on a decision from the FA over whether the paperwork was submitted in time in their move for Brighton’s Tomer Hemed.

Charlton have already added some new firepower this summer, with both Macauley Bonne and Chuks Aneke joining the club.

We put a spotlight on Hemed’s performances on loan with QPR last season to examine what he would bring to the Addicks if they’re given the green light to sign him.

Hemed was a bit-part player for QPR last season, making 27 Championship appearances, only 11 of which were starts. The 32-year-old found the net seven times in the league, which is not a bad return for a regular substitute in a team that only scored 53 goals all season–the 10th lowest in the league.

With Lyle Taylor having made a flying start to the season, Hemed is likely being brought in to play a supporting role and his performances from the 2018/19 campaign indicate he can do that well.

Bowyer will likely be looking for the Israel international to come on and make an instant impact in games and his statistics from last season indicate he can do just that. The 32-year-old is a busy forward, particularly in and around the box–he averaged 3.28 shots per game last season, with a shot accuracy of 41.8%, and took 4.24 touches in the opposition box.

His pass accuracy of 76.1% shows that he is no slouch in the passing game either and can be a useful player to linking-up play.

[ad_pod ]

One part of Hemed’s game that may prove particularly useful to Bowyer are his talents in the air–the Isreali forward averaged 18.16 aerial duels per game, with a success rate of 33.2%–and would offer more of an aerial threat than Taylor who averaged just 4.57 aerial duels per game. 

A factor that has likely played a key part in Charlton’s pursuit of the 32-year-old is his experience, which extends far further than just last season.

Hemed has 108 appearances in the second flight of English football, having scored 35 goals in that time. Last season he helped QPR avoid relegation, while in 2015/16 he helped win promotion with Brighton, so he knows how to be successful at both ends of the Championship.

By adding the Israeli, Bowyer looks set to add a useful supporting striker on the pitch and an experienced professional off it–the Addicks should cross their fingers and toes ahead of the FA’s decision because Hemed looks a solid addition to the squad.