Alfie May transfer: Why Charlton are selling and what Birmingham City are getting

Alfie May’s transfer has alerted League One to Birmingham City’s spending power. The Blues blew Huddersfield Town out of the water to agree a deal with Charlton Athletic for the striker who top scored in League One last season.

Charlton supporters are furious that they are selling May to a team they hope to compete with for promotion next season. May took 82% of the vote to win Charlton’s Player of the Year – no player has ever won the award more convincingly.

“You probably only have to look at social media around the deal from Charlton’s perspective to see that many supporters are baffled by it and want May to stay,” says Richard Cawley of the South London Press. “But the reality is when you look at Nathan Jones’ comments… Nathan himself even last week spoke about whether Alfie had left. That’s fine for Charlton to do if they bring in the players they want.

“There is no dispute. Alfie May is coming off a brilliant season, 27 goals and 23 in the league. Without his goals, where would Charlton be? There is a possibility that their situation in Ligue 1 could have been worse.

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“His goals were a bright spot throughout another season where the real good news was poor pickings at times, until Nathan came in and led the team into a return to form. It is definitely a problem of the club’s owners and the hierarchy that support their manager.

“I’m not necessarily sure he would have been a guaranteed starter. Nathan Jones’ teams often have athletic and powerful forwards. Alfie has many positive attributes but perhaps doesn’t quite fit the way Nathan Jones lines up his squads.

“When they signed Alfie, they wouldn’t have thought there was any resale value. Suddenly, Charlton was able to bring in a significant amount of money. The argument on the other side is what value do you place on goals?”

Goals are almost a guarantee with May. The forward, who turns 31 tomorrow, has scored 20 goals in each of his last three League One campaigns.

He managed two of them for a Cheltenham side struggling to keep their heads above water in the third tier. With 58 goals in League One and Two for the Robins, he is one of their all-time greats for reporter Jon Palmer.

“When he came to Cheltenham he was used as a wide forward at Doncaster and he was used as a centre-forward,” Palmer said. “He brought out the best in him. You could always see the talent was there, I think he got frustrated at Doncaster and Cheltenham got him for around £5,000.

“No one expected him to do what he did in League One. He won player of the year two years in a row and became Cheltenham’s record goalscorer in the Football League and is probably their best player. He is definitely up there with the greats. It has a bit of magic in it. He poaches goals out of nowhere.

“He scored from almost halfway against Peterborough two seasons ago. He can score spectacular goals. In League One, with the chances Birmingham will create, they will guarantee goals.

“He doesn’t look like a 30-year-old player, I think he can go into his thirties. He would love to have a crack at the championship.”

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