This article is part of Football League World's 'The Verdict' series, which provides personal opinions from the FLW writers regarding the latest breaking news, teams, players, managers, potential signings and more...

We brought you the exclusive this morning that Charlton Athletic are considering a move for Chey Dunkley after the centre back's deal at Sheffield Wednesday ended this summer.

The 30-year-old has been a very reliable defender, when fit, in the last few years in the EFL and was especially impressive under Paul Cook at Wigan Athletic.

The Addicks have added Eoghan O'Connell to their defensive contingent this summer, but with it unclear how much Deji Elerewe, Lucas Ness or Nazir Bakrin can contribute to the first team, further reinforcements are needed.

We gathered the thoughts of a selection of FLW writers to see if they believe that Dunkley would be a smart addition for Charlton...

Ben Wignall

Dunkley is a proven solid option at League One level and probably would have amassed more than 21 matches for Sheffield Wednesday in the third tier last season if he was able to stay injury-free.

He also provides experience at the level above as well, and when utilised correctly he can be a real threat from set pieces - in recent years for Wigan Athletic he has had seasons where he scored seven and six goals respectively.

Right now, Charlton have three centre-backs on the books in Ryan Inniss, Sam Lavelle and Eoghan O'Connell, so it's clear that more options - at least one - is needed.

On a free transfer, Dunkley would be a solid if unspectacular addition to the ranks at The Valley, but the most important thing he would bring is promotion-winning experience, which could prove crucial for the Addicks.

Josh Cole

This could turn out to be a solid bit of business by Charlton if they are able to convince Dunkley to make the switch to The Valley.

The defender managed to produce some assured displays for Wednesday last season and thus it was somewhat of a surprise when they opted against offering him fresh terms.

In the 21 league appearances that he made during the previous term, Dunkley demonstrated that he is capable of delivering the goods in the third tier as he won seven aerial duels per fixture and averaged a WhoScored match rating of 7.08 at this level.

Providing that Dunkley is able to retain his fitness over the course of the 2022/23 campaign, he could potentially establish himself as a key player for Charlton who will be aiming to push forward as a club under the guidance of Ben Garner.

 

 

Charlie Gregory

Chey Dunkley certainly has the experience of League One and the knowhow to be a solid option at third tier level - but the player can sometimes be hit and miss.

During his time at Wigan and at Sheffield Wednesday, there have been moments in time when fans believe the player is clumsy and would be better in rotation and others who feel he is a good part of their backline.

Dunkley split some opinion then but the 30-year-old could be exactly the kind of signing Charlton need.

He has competed at the top end of League One which is what the Addicks want to do and he can be a regular in their side.

He may be in his 30s but he still plays often and is able to complete plenty of games in a campaign still - and could therefore be a nice, cheap option for Charlton this summer.