Charlton Athletic Football Club News

• Nickname:The Addicks
• Founded:1905
• Manager:Chris Powell

• Ground:The Valley
• Capacity:27,111

Addicks seal double deal

09 Aug 2007 - 15:46:06

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Charlton Athletic have completed a double deal, signing MK Dons striker Izale McLeod and former loanee, China midfielder Zhi Zheng, for a combined fee of just over £3.5million.

McLeod has penned a four-year contract with the Addicks, who will pay the Dons an initial fee of £1.1million for the 22-year-old forward, who netted 24 goals last season for the League Two club.

Zheng joins for an initial £1.25million from Shandong Luneng, having impressed while on loan with the Addicks last term.

Manager Alan Pardew told the club's official website: "I felt in the group of strikers that we had, we lacked someone with genuine speed and pace to stretch teams.

"Izzy is going to offer us that and I also feel that he is ready for the step up. He'll come into our pool as one of the strikers hoping to get us 25 goals.

"ZiZi came to us last season and his return to us now in the Championship is a huge boost to me, the squad and the club.

"Plenty of people have worked very hard behind the scenes to get this deal done, and I would like to thank them and Shandong Luneng for helping to make the deal happen."

Meanwhile, Senegal centre-half Souleymane Diawara has left The Valley to join French side Bordeaux, having spent just one season with the Addicks.