Roland Duchâtelet has issued a statement on Charlton's website, urging the English Football League to speed up the process regarding the takeover of the club by East Street Investments (ESI).

In the statement, Duchâtelet said that: "the process is taking longer than we expected and we would like to urge the EFL to complete the decision-making procedure."

The Belgian also made it clear that by the EFL delaying proceedings, it could have a knock on effect on the upcoming January transfer window for Charlton.

"Part of the plan for ESI is to strengthen the team in January, using these weeks in December to put the building blocks in place for that, so any delay is impacting the future of the club," Duchâtelet added.

Questions were asked by the governing body if the consortium had links with the owners of Manchester City due to their connections with the United Arab Emirates.

Tahnoon Nimer, the prospective majority shareholder, has since provided proof to the EFL that the funds he plans to use to finance the club do not have ties to Sheikh Mansour, the current Manchester City owner.

It has been a month since the club formally announced the takeover by the Abu Dhabi based consortium, with the lack of communication from the prospective new owners and the EFL providing a sense of uncertainty amongst Charlton fans.

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The Verdict

Despite the feeling that the majority of Charlton fans have towards Duchâtelet, many will agree with the Belgian that the EFL's process of due diligence is taking much too long, adding to the uncertainty surrounding the takeover.

Although the current Charlton owner has no real power in the matter, this strongly worded statement will be noted by the EFL, putting the pressure on the governing body to get the deal over the line.