Charlton boss reunited with West Ham star, Liverpool starlet joins Wigan as Oxford sign Beadle replacement

It has been a busy week of transfer activity in League One and the likes of Charlton Athletic, Wigan Athletic and Oxford United have all delved into the market in a bid to strengthen their side for what promises to be a crucial second half of the season.

The three third-tier clubs are all currently experiencing very different seasons with some battling to earn promotion and others battling to retain their League One status.

Oxford were one of the standout teams in the first half of the campaign and will hope to get their season back on track after a mixed run of form at the end of 2023.

The Yellows are fourth in the table and will hope to pile pressure on Portsmouth and Bolton who are currently occupying the automatic promotion spaces. Oxford were hit with a set back when on loan goalkeeper James Beadle was recalled by Brighton before joining Championship side Sheffield Wednesday in January.

The loss of Beadle left Oxford short in the goalkeeping department, but manager Des Buckingham has swiftly rectified the issue with the signing of Chelsea goalkeeper Jamie Cumming on loan.

The 24-year-old Blues academy graduate is yet to make a first team appearance for Chelsea, but has previously enjoyed loan spells at Stevenage, Gillingham and MK Dons. He also worked with Oxford’s goalkeeping coach Lewis Price during his time at MK Dons.

Cumming suffered the setback of relegation with the Dons last term, but still earned individual plaudits as he won the club’s Player of the Season.

Charlton boss pleased to be reunited with West Ham midfielder

Charlton Athletic were many people’s tips for promotion at the start of the season, but now even the play-offs will seem an ambitious aim as they sit 13 points adrift of sixth place Barnsley.

However, history has proven that there is often a team that makes a late push into the top six and Michael Appelton will hope to make it his Charlton side. The ex-Lincoln boss has made a statement of intent with the signing of West Ham midfielder Conor Coventry who joins the club for an undisclosed fee.

The 23-year-old played for Appleton during his time at Lincoln City in 2020. He has since gone on to have loan spells at Peterborough, MK Dons and Rotherham United.

Appleton expressed his excitement to get the deal over the line. He told BBC Sport: “I’m delighted to be able to be reunited with him on a permanent deal. He’s very, very comfortable on the ball and knows his position well. He’s a good passer of the ball, with good technique, and he’s got a steeliness to him as well which I like - a bit of nastiness to him. He’s one that lives his life right and is a proper professional.”

Coventry has played for Republic of Ireland U21s on 28 occasions making him their most capped player at that level. As of yet, he has not made his first team debut for the senior team.

Wigan Athletic confirm the signing of Liverpool youngster on loan

Wigan Athletic are currently operating under a transfer embargo which prevents them from spending any money on transfer fees.

However, they have still been able to use the loan market to their advantage and have added Liverpool defender Luke Chambers to their ranks until the end of the season.

The 19-year-old has made four first team appearances for the Reds - including two starts at Europa League level. Chambers made 16 appearances for Kilmarnock during a loan spell last term and now wants to prove himself with a regular run of games in England. Chambers told the club website: “I’ve come here to help the team win games and get as far as we can in the league.”

Wigan are 18th in the table as it stands and are four points clear of the relegation zone. Chambers debut could come in a challenging away trip to in-form Northampton on Saturday.