Charlton Athletic

Charlton Athletic are close to an agreement to sign French Dundee centre-half Billy Koumetio after several six-figure bids were rejected, with the 23-year-old keen on a return to England. (Daily Record), external

For more transfer news and rumours, read Tuesday's full gossip column here.

The EFL fixture list is out and we know you are bursting to know what you've got to look forward to - or dread - from your team this upcoming season.

Here are some key dates to put in your diary:

• 15 August 2026 - Derby County (H)

• 22 August 2026 - West Ham United (A)

• 9 September 2026 - Queens Park Rangers (H)

• 19 December 2026 - Millwall (A)

• 26 December 2026 - Southampton (H)

• 1 January 2027 - Swansea City (A)

• 2 March 2027 - West Ham United (H)

• 3 April 2027 - Millwall (H)

• 6 April 2027 - Queens Park Rangers (A)

• 1 May 2027 - Lincoln City (A)

See Charlton Athletic's full fixture list here.

The EFL will reveal its fixture list for the 2026-27 season on Thursday.

Want to know who your team will face on opening day? The fixtures will be announced at 12:00 BST - but that is not all.

The draws for the group stage of the Vertu Trophy and the first round of the Carabao Cup will also take place.

So check back on 25 June to see who your team faces first, last and everything in between.

Image source, Getty Images

Charlton Athletic striker Lyndon Dykes has joined up with international side Scotland as they begin preparations for the World Cup.

The Australia-born 30-year-old assisted Lawrence Shankland's second goal during Scotland's 4-1 victory over Curacao on 30 May.

Scotland are in Group C and will face Haiti, Morocco and Brazil.

The World Cup begins on Thursday with Scotland's first game at 02:00 BST on Sunday against Haiti.

Image source, Shutterstock

Charlton forward Kaheim Dixon scored for Jamaica as they reached the final of the Unity Cup with a 2-0 win over India at The Valley on Wednesday night.

The 21-year-old finished into the bottom left-hand corner with 11 minutes remaining after Walsall defender Courtney Clarke had given the Reggae Boyz a first-half lead.

The goal is Dixon's fourth in senior international football on his 25th appearance.

Jamaica will now meet Nigeria in Saturday's Unity Cup final, also at The Valley (19:30 BST), with the third place play-off between India and Zimbabwe played earlier in the day (14:30 BST).

Paul Sullivan
Fan writer

Image source, Getty Images

Charlton Athletic's season closed with a familiar mix of frustration and clarity at Swansea City - a game that, in truth, probably meant more to Welshman Nathan Jones than it did to most supporters.

The frustration comes from this - when we abandon our pragmatic approach and try to play more expansively, we become easy to exploit.

The 3-1 defeat brings clarity for Jones. The squad needs a major injection of quality for next season.

Swansea, though, offered a glimpse of what a settled Championship side looks like. Along with Norwich City and Sheffield United, they've proved how misleading early-season struggles can be.

Following the sacking of Alan Sheehan in November, there is now a more progressive emphasis under Vitor Matos.

Swansea play with intent - aggressive pressing, forward-thinking football, and a real threat from the flanks and set-pieces. Charlton knew what was coming - and still couldn't cope.

There were positives. We contained them for 75 minutes, which other teams haven't managed.

Miles Leaburn's equalising header and Conor Coady captaining the side felt fitting - perhaps a final contribution in a loan spell that has brought leadership and standards.

You can see why Jones values Coady so highly. The pair feel aligned in mindset, even if a permanent move looks unlikely.

But once the game opened up, the gulf became clear.

Swansea controlled proceedings, carving through Charlton too easily at times. Their third goal, from a set-piece Charlton had been warned about, summed up the afternoon.

Conceding three times in the final 15 minutes exposed a side that, when stretched, lacks the nous and resilience required at this level.

There's a sense Charlton could have ground out a draw had they stayed compact. Instead, once the shackles came off, Swansea sliced through them like a knife through butter. It was uncomfortable viewing, but perhaps necessary.

Because if this match did anything, it sharpened the picture for Jones. Charlton can compete, frustrate, and pick up results, but to control games, to look like a side that expects to win, requires something more.

A ruthless summer now feels inevitable. Often, the team struggles to keep the ball with authority and pass meaningfully, make right decisions and be consistently clinical in front of goal. These are not small fixes.

The bigger question is whether the club can match Jones' ambition. Can Charlton evolve while living within their means? Or does progress demand greater backing?

Either way, by August, this needs to feel like a different side. Because while this defeat stung, it may yet prove useful - a reminder of exactly where Charlton are, and how far they still have to go.

These two sides can start planning for next season in the Championship after they meet on Saturday (12:30 BST).

Charlton's 2-1 win over Hull City last weekend prevented any final-day jitters while Swansea could move into the top 10 with a victory in south Wales.

• Swansea have only lost one of their past 10 league games against Charlton (W6 D3), going down 2-0 on MD1 of the 2008-09 season.

• Charlton have lost four of their past five league visits to Swansea (D1); all four of those defeats have been by a one-goal margin.

• Swansea have only won their final league game in one of the past five seasons (D1 L3), beating West Bromwich Albion 3-2 in 2022-23.

• Charlton have lost their final game in each of their past three Championship seasons by an aggregate score of 0-10.

• Charlton Athletic have only scored 43 Championship goals this season – the last time they ended a season with fewer than 50 league goals scored was in 2015-16 (40).

Paul Sullivan
Fan writer

Image source, Shutterstock

The relief at full-time was overwhelming.

After the anger and frustration of defeat by Ipswich Town - and the feeling that Charlton Athletic had let a huge chance slip through their fingers - this was a day to savour.

It was tense, draining and, ultimately, unforgettable.

This was not a straightforward afternoon.

With Amari'i Bell, Kayne Ramsay and Matty Godden missing, and Hull City carrying threats through the pace of ex Charlton loanee Liam Millar plus the goals of Oli McBurnie and Joe Gelhardt, Charlton knew they would need both discipline and patience.

Hull were flat for long spells, but they did improve after the break, buoyed by an equaliser on the stroke of half-time.

Before that though, Charlton had struck the kind of goal that can define a season.

I had noted before kick-off that Semi Ajayi's perceived weakness in agility might be exploited, and Charlie Kelman did exactly that. He held him off superbly before bending a magnificent finish into the top corner to put Charlton ahead.

After the recent frustration of not taking chances at The Valley, it was ironic - and fitting - that safety would be set on the road by such a brilliant strike.

Conor Coady deserves real credit for that opening goal. His assist for Kelman was perfectly weighted and showed exactly why his influence has been so valuable.

Later, Jayden Fevrier delivered the second goal, the one that finally sealed Championship survival and sent The Valley into full celebration mode.

That second strike mattered even more because of what had gone before. After Hull levelled, there was a period of real tension, and Charlton had to show resolve as well as quality. But the Addicks held firm, and the support from the stands never dropped.

The Valley faithful stayed with the team throughout and that backing helped carry them over the line.

Nathan Jones has now guided Charlton from the brink of League Two to Championship survival in quick time.

The next stage has to be about evolution: better quality, greater depth and a genuine push forward rather than another season of survival anxiety.

For now though, this is about relief, pride and the kind of afternoon that reminds supporters why football matters so much.

Charlton have survived, the Valley has roared its approval, and the next chapter can begin with the mood lifted and ambition intact.

Charlton Athletic boss Nathan Jones told BBC Radio London after his side secured their Championship survival with a 2-1 win over Hull City:

"I'm delighted. Relief is the biggest thing because I don't think we should have been in this position after the start to the season [we had] with the group we've got.

"We know we're playing in a very difficult league and maybe lack a little bit of the quality that others have to put teams to bed.

"If you'd asked me at the beginning of the season if I'd taken this, I probably wouldn't.

"For us to move and do what we want to do next year, the first stage is we have to be a Championship side.

"And we've done that, and I'm proud of the group because we've had a tough time this year."

Image source, Shutterstock

We asked you whether you were feeling nervous about Charlton Athletic's hunt for survival.

Here is a selection of things you had to say:

James: The team have given the fans a season to be proud of. Nathan Jones has built a squad of good League One players and some average Championship players and positioned us with a great chance of staying up.

To finish fourth-bottom would be the greatest achievement for Charlton in the post-Premier League period.

One more point may be too much to ask of this team that has given its all but six points for Oxford will be a higher mountain to climb for them to secure safety at our expense. But Charlton are full of surprises as Middlesbrough found out a few weeks ago and we might just be able to save ourselves.

Len: Two points from a possible 18 is definitely relegation material. Recent tactics and now fresh injuries won't help, but I keep the faith.

Kevin: I do fear Charlton could still get relegated. We will struggle to gain the one point needed and fear Oxford could easily beat Sheff Wed and then, heaven forbid, beat our south London neighbours Millwall, who, depending on results, might have nothing to play for and rest their first team for the play-offs.

Melissa: I'm not worried. Charlton are new to the league and have fought hard for many draws that could have tipped into wins.

There's 12 points between Man United (third) and Arsenal and Man City (joint first/second). The Championship is so much tighter - 12 points and Charlton would be in the top half of the table.

They've done really well. Had some bad luck. Learnt a few things I suspect along the way. But they won against Middlesbrough, drew against Millwall, Coventry… they totally have what it takes to turn the huge amount of effort to get those draws into wins next season.

Kim: Charlton just don't seem to be able to score goals and hold a lead if they do.

Yes, I'm worried they may drop and see the next two games as tough to win. Looking over our shoulder, Oxford may have more fight in them to stay up and we could come unstuck.

But, oh my goodness, c'mon Charlton let's have at least one good game to end the recent dreadful run and secure Championship football for next season.

Dan: Yes, I'm worried as we look like a team moving backwards.

If you look at goals conceded, we have let in only one more than Southampton and six less than Wrexham and they are in the play-off spots! Our problem is that we do not have a real goalscorer, or someone who can unlock defences. We look inept going forward, and it seems all our players are too afraid to try anything and so end up playing the ball backwards - even when we are losing.

We have missed a fit Matt Godden this season, but if we are going to have any chance in: a) staying up; and b) competing next year, then we need to sort out how we attack - even from midfield - and that's if we survive.

Last time we were relegated, there were two teams below us on the last day fighting for survival - they both won (one with a last-minute winner) and we lost, sending us down.

Is history going to repeat itself!? I hope not, but I'm fearful!