Charlton Athletic bolster squad with double Irish loan signings
James Abankwah Credit: Liam Coughlan (ETPhotos)
Charlton Athletic has boosted its squad with two loan signings, securing the services of both Louie Watson from Luton Town and James Abankwah from Udinese.
Louie Watson, a 22-year-old Republic of Ireland U21 international, will bolster Charlton's midfield options.
Previously part of Luton Town's Championship promotion-winning side, Watson is eager to make his mark at Charlton.
“I’m absolutely buzzing to be here,” Watson remarked, “Charlton is a young, exciting team with high ambition which is going to suit me as an individual. I feel like I am going to suit the team with my attributes and I feel like the other lads’ attributes can suit me as well.”
Andy Scott, Charlton's Technical Director, recognized Watson's promise, stating, “Louie is a young player who left Derby and went to Luton and did very well. He has already made a number of appearances for Derby and has been involved with Luton’s first team."
"He is another player who is highly-regarded and their rise to the Premier League has given us this unique opportunity to get a young player with immense talent into our football club.”
Watson's journey began in Croydon and took him to West Ham United before his spell at Derby, where he earned a move to Luton in 2022.
Although he previously represented England at U15 level, Watson now has multiple appearances for Republic of Ireland's youth teams.
The second loan signing, James Abankwah, is a versatile 19-year-old defender from Serie A side Udinese.
Commenting on his move, Abankwah shared, “It feels great to be a Charlton player. I bring that winning mentality and I have also got a lot of speed, strength and I am a very powerful player. I like to bring that to the team to help as much as I can.”
Scott sang praises of Abankwah, noting, “James is a highly-regarded young player who was the subject of a large transfer fee from St. Patrick’s in Ireland to Udinese. He has already made his debut in Serie A which shows how much they think of him.”
The Irish defender started at St Patrick's Athletic, where his standout performances earned him a move to Udinese in January 2022.
