JibrinLyndon Dykes has already experienced quite a fascinating recent chapter in his career – one which saw him finalise his latest transfer move to Charlton Athletic during the winter window.
With the Addicks not exactly firing on all cylinders in front of goal after their return to the Championship, Nathan Jones turned to the seasoned and powerful striker as a solution to those issues, and thus far, Dykes has certainly made his mark at The Valley.
This arrives immediately after the Scotland international’s curious 18-month stint at Birmingham City following his switch to St. Andrew’s @ Knighthead Park from Queens Park Rangers for a reported £1m fee in August 2024, in what was Chris Davies’ inaugural transfer window at the helm of the club.
It has been widely documented that Birmingham stormed to the League One title with a commanding 19-point margin last term after amassing 111 points, whilst also featuring in a remarkable 60 matches across all competitions due to their runs in the EFL Cup, FA Cup and EFL Trophy.
However, it’s fair to say that Dykes found it incredibly difficult to displace the pairing of Jay Stansfield and Alfie May from the starting eleven, before encountering the same dilemma earlier in this Championship season after Blues moved to secure both Kyogo Furuhashi and Marvin Ducksch.
Although the 30-year-old attained ‘cult hero’ status in the West Midlands for a number of crucial and late strikes, a shortage of minutes prompted his move to SE7, where he has made a robust initial impression in an effort to secure a spot in Steve Clarke’s Scotland squad for the upcoming FIFA World Cup.
However, with his agreement at Charlton only valid until June 30th at present, it remains to be seen what the distant future holds for the experienced campaigner.
As such, two of the club’s divisional rivals are looking to capitalise on such unpredictability.
“Leicester City facing fresh Millwall transfer battle for Charlton Athletic’s Lyndon Dykes”
During the latter stages of his spell with Birmingham, it was widely reported that Leicester City were keen on striking a deal to lure Dykes to the King Power Stadium, although the Foxes were unsuccessful in those particular aims.
The man with 188 appearances and 39 goals at Championship level thus far was also the subject of a loan bid from promotion-chasing Ipswich Town in January, as the Tractor Boys looked to add further firepower beyond the likes of George Hirst, Ivan Azon and Chuba Akpom.
Since joining Charlton, Dykes has scored twice – with one of those strikes ironically coming against the East Midlands side on January 31st – and provided three assists, with the London club currently nine points clear of Leicester in 22nd with 10 matches of the season remaining.
However, whilst there has been no suggestion that a long-term deal has been put on the table for the striker by his current employers, the Daily Mail have reported that Leicester could face competition from Millwall for his services as a free agent in the summer window.
The Lions are currently pushing for promotion to the Premier League, and have lost just twice in their last 14 league encounters. It has been claimed that their divisional status will be the biggest factor in whether they move for Dykes in the summer.
Meanwhile, Leicester’s financial restrictions and a potential relegation to League One may also dictate whether they are able to add the 48-time international to their ranks.
“Charlton Athletic supporters wouldn’t like to see Lyndon Dykes in a Millwall shirt”
It, of course, remains to be seen whether Dykes will remain a part of Jones’ long-term plans due to the experience he provides. However, it would certainly hurt Charlton fans if he was to move to The Den.
The fierce rivalry between the two sets of supporters has certainly been on show this campaign for the first time in many years, although it is the Lions who enjoyed the better of the two clashes, drawing 1-1 at The Valley before a 4-0 home rout in January.
Alex Neil will also be fully aware of Dykes’ attributes in many ways due to his impact at Championship level and on the international stage for Scotland.
As such, this could certainly be an intriguing transfer battle for the summer.
Jibrin
