Charlton Athletic: Sheffield Wednesday swoop to complete Alfie May reunion could be a masterstroke

For Charlton Athletic, getting striker Alfie May back together with former teammate Mallik Wilks would be a great business move.

Football Insider reports that Charlton Athletic is interested in signing Sheffield Wednesday’s Mallik Wilks, a winger.

The Addicks are vying for the 25-year-old with Reading and Stockport County, two other League One teams.

Despite making 15 appearances in the Championship for the Owls this season, Wilks was unable to contribute to any goals in the league. In January, the team defeated Cardiff City 4-0 in the FA Cup third round thanks to his season’s lone goal.

The fact that Wilks is drawing interest from the third tier is not surprising. The former Leeds United prospect played three seasons in League One, winning promotions with Sheffield Wednesday and Hull City in addition to qualifying for the playoffs with Doncaster Rovers.

In 16 League One appearances, he recorded one goal and five assists, helping Sheffield Wednesday win the playoffs in the 2022–2023 campaign.

With 134 games played in League One, Wilks has an outstanding individual record, tallying 34 goals and dishing out 21 assists.

Mallik Wilks and Alfie May could reunite at Charlton Athletic

Wilks will see a well-known face if he signs for Charlton. During Wilks’ season-long loan from Leeds United to Doncaster in the 2018–19 campaign, striker Alfie May was a member of the Doncaster team.

The two enjoyed a highly successful campaign under manager Grant McCann, finishing sixth in League One and reaching the play-offs.

After an exciting 4–4 draw on aggregate, Doncaster lost to Lee Bowyer’s Charlton in a play-off semi-final decided on penalties at The Valley. Wilks contributed a helping hand in the semi-final’s two legs.

Even though May only scored twice during that season, he has come a long way since then. The 30-year-old won League One’s Golden Boot after scoring 23 goals for the Addicks this season. Together with Hull’s championship-winning squad in 2020–21, Wilks had another fantastic League One season, tallying eight assists and scoring 19 goals.

Both players’ familiarity with one another and their goal-scoring prowess might prove to be crucial in a future promotion push, provided Charlton manager Nathan Jones can get the two back together.

Signing Wilks would strengthen an area Charlton are weak in

Filling a position where Charlton lacks choices would be a wonderful approach to bring in a proven League One winger like Wilks.

After Jones had brought the former Lincoln Town player to The Valley for a brief period of time in the second half of this season, Kazenga LuaLua was let go by the team.

Tyreece Campbell, who signed a new deal in May, is now the sole winger committed to the Addicks for the upcoming year.

When he introduced LuaLua to the team on a free transfer in March, Jones mentioned that he was lacking options in wide areas; therefore, the Welshman will be thrilled to bring Wilks to SE7 this summer.

Everything points to Wilks being a great addition. He has experience playing alongside Charlton’s most important player and is a proven striker at the level. In three League One campaigns, he has never finished outside the top six.