Charlton striker Nicky Ajose joins League Two club on loan

Nicky Ajose has joined Sky Bet League Two club Mansfield Town on loan for the remainder of the season.

The Charlton striker has seen his first-team opportunities limited this campaign due to the form of Lyle Taylor and Karlan Grant, who have scored 28 goals between them in all competitions.

Ajose has netted three Addicks goals this term – including one against Mansfield in the Emirates FA Cup – and Manager Lee Bowyer says that the forward wants regular first-team football.

“It’s been difficult for Nicky here obviously with the strikers we’ve got and the way they are playing. I think it was best for both parties for him to go on loan.

“To be fair to him he’s been a great pro and a good person around the place, I can’t knock him in any way. Hopefully he goes and scores goals and they get promotion. I wish him all the best.”

The move leaves Charlton with four strikers, the in-form Taylor and Grant, Igor Vetokele, who is set to return from injury in February and academy graduate Reeco Hackett-Fairchild.

Bowyer said: “There is no rush to replace Nicky at the moment. Like we’ve done all the way through in the summer and in January, if we are going to replace him with somebody, then it would have to be the right person that suits the group we have.

“I think our recruitment in the summer and now has been very good. We’re very careful on who we pick and I think you can tell that with the people we’ve brought in. Obviously, we’re a striker down but we’re not going to rush around and bring someone in for the sake of bringing someone in.”

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