Gallen on summer transfer plans and the signing of Macauley Bonne

Charlton's Head of Recruitment Steve Gallen is looking for "honest and hungry" players this summer.

Gallen spoke to Valley Pass after the signing of striker Macauley Bonne.

The full interview is available on Valley Pass. Valley Pass costs just £6.50 per month and you can sign-up here. Below are some of the key points.

On getting that first signing over the line…

"Yeah, I’m really pleased to be honest and I’m pleased that it’s Macauley as our first signing. Lee and I have been speaking for a few months about what kind of players we’re going to bring in over the summer. Last year we brought in Lyle as our first summer signing and that worked out really well.

"So first one in, Macauley. A centre forward and we’re really pleased about that and we’ve got a few more to do."

On watching him for a number of seasons…

"Yeah, it’s strange, he doesn’t know me, but I’ve been sitting in the stands watching him. I try to get along to as many clubs in the south east as much as I can, so I’ve been watching him at Colchester and when I had my role at QPR he was playing against our U18s quite a lot. 

"But more importantly and more recently over the last couple of years, Leyton Orient. I go there, at least, once every two months. They have some very good young players in that squad, and we’re very pleased and very lucky that Orient have allowed us to take Macauley and we’re really pleased that he’s joined this football club." 

On the busy summer still to go…

"Look, we’ve got a bit to do were fully aware of that. We let some players go, some good players. But we always did it with the best interests of the club in mind and they were some difficult and tough conversations to have I’ll be honest. 

"We feel that we can get some good players into this football club. We’ve started here with Macauley, who is a young player, he’s enthusiastic, he’s hard working, he honest and hungry when I watch him play. And they’re the type of players we want to get in here.

"There’s obviously a few more [signings] to do."

On hopefully bringing in more signings…

"I don’t know when, I don’t want to put a deadline or a date on it, but we are working hard on it behind the scenes."

Charlton season tickets are back on sale and for a limited time the club are offering Championship football at League One pricing.

 

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