CHARLTON fan and freelance journalist MATT FRICKER is News Shopper online’s Addicks columnist and this week ponders whether any new signings add or detract from the current squad.

ARE new players a sign of rebuilding or replacing?

With rumours currently swelling around the Charlton forums the signing of a new midfielder is imminent, I’ve started to wonder what the arrival of any new players will really mean to our squad as it stands.

Will they add to the competition for a starting position?

Or will their arrival serve as an indication that one of the current Charlton squad is about to depart for pastures new?

Two weeks ago I argued that what I’m hoping to see from the Addicks in the off season is merely a strengthening of the core squad we already have, including, as I suggested last week, more characters and aggression. The midfielder in question is regarded as a defensive midfielder and, according to reports, could arrive at SE7 as a Charlton player before the end of this week.

I personally think the player would be a fantastic addition to the squad and a great indication from both Powell and the Charlton board we really do mean business next season.

However, the introduction of a new defensive midfielder raises queries for many Addicks, as our strongest defensive midfielder Jose Semedo happens to be out of contract at the end of next month and rumours of his departure have been a hot topic amongst the Charlton faithful.

Though most fans would love to see Semedo stay in SE7, would a new defensive midfielder mean the man who doesn’t like Millwall has played his last game for Charlton?

Objectively I think a new central midfielder will probably mean the departure of one of our players.

However, at the end of last season we had Semedo, Therry Racon, Alan McCormack and Michael Stewart all listed as central midfielders.

The short term contract of Michael Stewart has already expired, and we know while the contracts of both Racon and Semedo expire at the end of June, Powell is keen to keep both of them at Charlton.

So arguably any new midfielders could be bought in to complete a set of four senior players in our squad for two positions.

Although most Charlton fans (including myself) will speculate and debate potential coming and goings until the cows come home, I don’t think we should take any arrivals into the squad as anything less than a strengthening until we hear differently from the club themselves, no matter how tortuous radio silence from them may be.

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