Charlton Athletic boss Lee Bowyer has said that he has already started to put plans in place for the upcoming summer transfer window.

Speaking to London News Online, the Addicks boss said that the club will have more power than before in the transfer market due to the club's new ownership structure.

“Going on past seasons we haven’t really done too much in the summer – it’s always been towards the end [of the window that deals got done],"Bowyer said.

Last summer, the highest fee the club paid £203,000 for Macauley Bonne, and it is well documented that Charlton are operating on a budget lower than their relegation rivals.

Despite that, Bowyer added that the greater financial freedom has allowed himself and Steve Gallen to work together well in advance to put together transfer targets.

Can you get 13/13 in this Charlton quiz?

“We’ll be on top of it. We start planning now – putting names on the board and trying to line some stuff up," he said.

“If we want to be competitive in this division, which is what I want to be, then we need to spend money – we have to.”

He added that the club will be prepared regardless if they remain a Championship club or suffer relegation back to the third tier.

The Addicks currently sit in 19th place in Championship table, just five points above the relegation zone, and take on Luton this weekend in a six-pointer at The Valley hoping to open up some breathing space with a win.

The Verdict

It is good news for Charlton fans that the club will almost certainly be better prepared for the summer transfer window than at this stage last season.

It means that hard work on each of the potential targets the club are after can be carried out in the following months, which will mean business can be done at the earliest possible opportunity.

With the club now in a healthier financial position, Charlton will not have their hands tied, and will also not have to solely rely on loan deals and free transfers.