Charlton must seal a deal for £6k-per-week Millwall midfielder Shane Ferguson this summer.

What's the talk?

Millwall utility man Shane Ferguson has revealed that he decided against signing a new deal with the club as he wants to go and play regular football elsewhere. Ferguson does not want to sit on the bench next season and is now on the lookout for a new club. He told London News Online:

“It just felt natural (to leave Millwall now). I didn’t play much this season and I want to be playing. I didn’t feel I could do another season of that, it wouldn’t be good for my career at all.

“I had a good chat with the manager, we were both really honest where we were at with it. I’m looking forward to what happens next, I’ve left that to my agent. I’m away on internationals and I’m focused on that, just keeping myself fit. I’ll see what happens in the coming weeks.”

Journalist Richard Cawley reported earlier this year that Charlton had an interest in Ferguson. The Addicks failed to seal a deal due to salary caps, which have since been revoked by the Football League.

Millwall boss Gary Rowett admitted last month that Ferguson “desperately wants to play” and that is the reason behind his exit from The Den this summer. He told London News Online:

“I know he wants to play more, he desperately wants to play more. Sometimes you get to the point with a player when they are a full international that you can’t keep them from playing and starting games for a further season."

Must seal deal

Charlton must now swoop in and seal a deal for Ferguson. This is the perfect opportunity for Nigel Adkins to add the player to his squad as he is set to become a free agent next month and they will not need to lavish out a transfer fee for his services.

Cawley reported that the wage cap was an issue for Charlton in the January window, but that is no longer the case given that the rules have been scrapped. Therefore, Charlton should - in theory - be able to afford a deal for Ferguson.

The Northern Ireland international's attitude is one reason why he could be a great addition to Adkins' squad. Ferguson could have stayed at Millwall and been happy to pick up a paycheque and sit on the bench week-in-week-out in the Championship, but has been brave and decided to search for a new club and potentially drop down a division to League One to find somewhere where he can play regularly.

This shows that he is not just in the game for the money and that he is motivated to perform on the pitch.

The £6k-per-week ace has played over 100 times in four Championship seasons for Millwall. This suggests that his managers at Millwall trusted him to a job in the second tier, which means that he could excel in League One.

Therefore, he could be an experienced and motivated player who could add to the depth of Adkins' squad and who could give the manager another seasoned professional in the dressing room.

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