Charlie Kirk spent the second half of the season on loan at Blackpool from Charlton Athletic, with the Tangerines reserving an option to buy the 24-year-old in the agreement.

Neil Critchley's men published their retained list this morning, which stated that Kirk was one of two players who would be returning to their parent club.

The agreed fee in the loan deal was believed to be in the region of £500,000, close to what the Addicks paid for the forward in the summer of 2021.

However, Blackpool Gazette confirmed this afternoon, that they had been informed by Richard Cawley, of the South London Press, that the Tangerines are still interested in purchasing Charlie Kirk on a permanent basis, and will try to come to an agreement to decrease the transfer fee that was inserted into the loan deal in January.

Should Blackpool succeed in that approach, the Addicks are likely to turn a loss on an exciting up and coming forward in the space of one year, such that would not reflect well on the operations of the club's hierarchy.

Kirk made just five league starts for the Addicks in the first half of the season, and is contracted at The Valley until the summer of 2025.

The Verdict

Kirk's transfer value could increase significantly in the not too distant future, due to his age and the length of his contract, if a new manager can bring the best out of him in South London.

Therefore, it would be counter-productive to offload him at a loss this summer, when the former Crewe Alexandra livewire has the potential to be one of the most productive forwards in the third division.

There were a lot of underperformers at the start of the 2021/22 season under Nigel Adkins, Kirk included, but the 24-year-old never received an opportunity to prove his worth following that period, due to Johnnie Jackson's formation and his move to Bloomfield Road in January, where he chipped in with three assists in nine Championship appearances.