Charlton have been handed a major boost in their pursuit of Preston North End centre-forward Jayden Stockley.

What's the talk?

According to the Lancashire Post, the 27-year-old is keen to sign a permanent deal with the Addicks following the end of his loan spell with the club. He arrived at The Valley on loan in January and caught the eye with an impressive run of form in the second half of the season, with Charlton now attempting to snap him up on a permanent basis.

The report claims that a number of League One clubs are interested in Stockley, with Preston primed to cash in on the striker. However, he would rather sign for Charlton over their League One rivals due to his time on loan with the club.

Earlier this season, Addicks manager Nigel Adkins labeled Stockley as “magnificent”, praising the forward for his work rate. He told London News Online: “Jayden Stockley was magnificent yet again. He works his socks off. In the last minute of the game he is down near our corner flag, winning the ball.

“He just kept going – phenomenal. He is such a massive threat. If we can just improve the quality to him, he is such a handful in this division.”

Adkins will be ecstatic

Adkins must be ecstatic to learn that Stockley is gunning for a return to the club this summer. The 27-year-old made a huge impact whilst on loan at the club and he thrived under Adkins' management, suggesting that the pair work well together. This means he could be the ideal target to bring in, as he already knows the club and has proven that he can perform in the manager's system. Stockley ended the campaign as Charlton's highest-rated player according to WhoScored. He averaged a score of 7.41 in the league for the Addicks, with Jake Forster-Caskey (7.19) and Ryan Innis (7.16) behind him in the top three. He notched eight goals and two assists in 20 starts, whilst also averaging a jaw-dropping 9.8 aerial battles won per game. Innis was second in the Charlton squad for aerial battles won with 5.6 per game, highlighting just how impressive that figure is for Stockley.

The possible return of the £5,100-per-week ace could also be vital due to Chuks Aneke's situation. The former MK Dons man was Charlton's top scorer with 15 goals and is currently set to leave the club at the end of the month.

His contract expires at the end of June and there has been no update on his negotiations over a new deal. If he leaves The Valley, the signing of Stockley would be more important as Adkins would be losing one of his main contributors in front of goal.

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