We started our fizzy pop life with the purchase of a couple of lower-league strikers, people that knew what it was like in the tough-boys league although one of them did come from League One whatever that is. Anyway we continued this trend with the acquisition of one Paddy McCarthy from Leicester, another player used to Championship football.
As a contrast, and it's no doubt a cheaper option, the Addicks continue to add to the growing contingent of young foreign international players. Under 21s or Under 18s, they're all players that have the potential to succeed. And yesterday it was announced that Charlton had completed the signing on a 4 year contract of 22 year old Jose Semodo from Sporting Lisbon.
Semodo played in all three of Portugal's games in the recent Under-21 Championships in Holland before going out at the Group stage. This was the event where England went out to Holland in the semis after the handbags with Serbia. Semodo is also famous for appearing in the previous years tournament where he was sent off in his first, and only, game against the prepetual bad boys Serbia.
Semedo has been around a bit and therefore hasn't actually played for Sporting. He's been at Second Division club Casa Pia for the season 2004/05 and was then loaned to Feirense for half of the following season. Then in 2006/07 he's been at Cagliari in Italy's Serie A making his debut against AC Milan.
He joins our two Scandinavian old-timers 18 year old defender Finn Jani Tanska and 19 year old Icelander forward Ririk Gislason who were recently joined by two Danes, 19 year old winger Martin Christensen and 16 year old midfielder Mikkel Rygaard Jensen.
Other youngsters are Kelly Youga from CAR (the Central African Republic ) who is now 21 and has been here a couple of years too although it seems longer. Not to mention 18 year old Scot Mark Staunton that Dowie brought here last year and the invisible 19 year old Mad Dog Walton. Randolph's still only 20 and not to forget 20 year old frenchman Yassin Moutaouakil that we signed last week. Osei Sankofa is now 22 and so is Lloyd Sam and both have enjoyed Premiership games last season.
How many is that? Twelve, a team of promising kids with the eldest at 22. So there's hope for the future but what of the present?
On the four purchases this summer, whats the cost? Well, a little over £3m and with the murdoch still saying that we are holding out for more than £15m from Spurs for Darren it looks like the serious strengthening of our midfield will have to wait. The current offer seems to be £10m now with the rest, £3m, in performance-related extras, not really what we want right now to add to the squad.
Its getting close to the time when one of the parties will have to give way or the deal will fall through, something that Darren himself may not want.
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