Charlton Athletic have confirmed the permanent signing of Preston North End striker Jayden Stockley, ending days of speculation over his destination.

The 27-year-old will be very familiar with the club, having spent the second half of last season with the Addicks, netting eight goals in 22 appearances. However, Nigel Adkins' side were in danger of losing the forward to League One rivals Portsmouth, who had reportedly agreed a deal with Preston yesterday before Charlton swooped in.

Stockley will rejoin Connor Washington and Chuks Aneke as forward options for Adkins to utilise next season, providing the latter signs a fresh deal at the club to extend his stay in the capital.

The new signing spent long periods of his career out on loan from former club AFC Bournemouth before making his first permanent move to Aberdeen in 2016. He stayed in Scotland for a season before joining Exeter City, where he arguably enjoyed the best days of his playing career so far.

His 18-month stay with the Grecians was brought to an end in January 2019 with several clubs activating his release clause - and chose Preston as his next destination where he signed for a £750,000 fee.

Despite playing semi-regularly during his time in Lancashire, Alex Neil sent the forward out on loan to Charlton Athletic - and new manager Frankie McAvoy has decided to sever his ties permanently with the 27-year-old.

Stockley joins Charlton Athletic for an undisclosed fee on a three-year deal, extending his stay with the League One side until 2024.

The Verdict:

This is a fantastic signing for Nigel Adkins who saw Stockley impress for the club in the second half of last season and if Aneke does sign a new deal, they will already have the firepower needed to win promotion back to the Championship.

The potential for the forward to recapture the form he showed in his Exeter City days is a mouth-watering prospect and with Preston deeming him surplus to requirements last year, this is likely to have been a reasonably cheap deal to complete.

With his loan spell at the Addicks last season, Stockley is likely to settle in quickly and it wouldn't be a surprise to see him top the League One goalscorers chart next season.