'Completely false' - rumours linking Portsmouth midfielder with January transfer to Charlton shut down
Rumours linking Owen Moxon with a January transfer window move to Charlton have been shot down.
Speculation had been growing on social media that the League One Addicks were keen on the midfielder and that boss Nathan Jones was ready to tempt him to the Valley with the offer of regular game time.
Moxon has featured just 13 times for Pompey this season as he struggles to break into John Mousinho’s first-team plans. Meanwhile, just two of those outings have come via Championship starts, with the 27-year-old’s last being the 3-0 defeat to Bristol City on December 29.
Moxon has accumulated just four more minutes of Championship football since then - although did play the full 90 minutes as a much-changed Blues side crashed out of the FA Cup following their third-round defeat at Wycombe at the beginning of January.
Since then Pompey have added experienced Newcastle United midfielder Isaac Hayden to their ranks, which has pushed former Carlisle man Moxon further down the pecking order.
A move away from Fratton Park this month would, therefore, not come as a complete surprise, with the Blues keen to trim their squad numbers. Yet it won’t be Charlton who come knocking - according to the South London Press’ Richard Cawley.
Reporting on the recent gossip via X, he said rumours about an Addicks move for the midfielder were ‘completely false’. He also dispelled theories that Pompey rivals Preston North End had been in contact with Charlton regarding former Southampton player Thierry Small.
Moxon’s battle for Pompey game time
Moxon has been at Fratton Park for less than 12 months, having arrived from Carlisle on February 1, 2024.
He’s made 28 appearances in total for the Blues and did his bit for the team as they sealed the League One title last term - featuring 15 times and scoring a wonderful goal as Mousinho’s side drew 2-2 with Derby back on April 2.
Yet he’s found himself consistently on the fringes this term in the Championship, with West Ham loanee Freddie Potts, Andre Dozzell and Hayden all more likely to play as Pompey look to retain their second-tier status. The signing of centre-back Hayden Matthews could also have implications for Moxon, with captain and midfielder Marlon Pack filling in there in recent months due to the Blues’ defensive injuries.
Moxon still has two-and-a-half years remaining on his current contract. Pompey would rather get Ben Stevenson and Tom Lowery off their books this month - two players who weren’t named in the 25-man squad the Blues registered with the EFL back in September.
Charlton are currently 10th in League One but are just two points off the play-off places. They’ve yet to sign anyone during the current transfer window.