Charlton Athletic has initiated negotiations with keeper John Ruddy, thus Birmingham City will have competition to keep him on staff, as reported by Football Insider.
Since moving from rival Wolverhampton Wanderers in 2022, the 37-year-old has been a constant at St Andrew’s. He signed a one-year contract at first, but after less than half of the season, his performances led to a one-year extension.
The former England international continued to start in goal for the Blues during their terrible season. They fell apart after John Eustace was fired in October, which ultimately resulted in their Championship relegation.
Birmingham hopes to just be in League One for a short while. Ruddy was offered a new contract, which they confirmed in May, and they are eager to keep him. He was hesitant to commit, though, as long as the club’s managerial status remained uncertain. The fact that Chris Davies was hired earlier this month seems to be a trigger in this regard. The goalie told Ben Foster on The Fozcast earlier this month, in an interview:
“We’ll see what happens once they figure out the manager. Though I’ve also spoken with other clubs, hopefully there will be a few more. All you have to do is keep your choices open and wait to see what happens.
As I have had such a great time playing over the past two years, I still want to play and that is my first priority. I have played in 89 games over the course of two seasons at Wolves after four years of not playing. Physically, I feel well, and I think I’ve performed at a respectable level. While there have undoubtedly been ups and downs, overall I think I have been steady.
Charlton is one of the teams that appears to have had discussions. Although the Addicks have already recruited Will Mannion from Cambridge United, it is rumoured that they are looking to add further expertise to their goalkeeping staff.
Charlton has already engaged in a lot of transfer window activity. In addition to Mannion, they have acquired Josh Edwards and Luke Berry, while Alex Mitchell, the defender for Millwall, is rumoured to be close to joining The Valley.
This season, Nathan Jones intends to compete at the highest level of League One. The Addicks’ season ended in bitter heartbreak last year, but their current roster of players will only get better.
Ruddy would be a great option for anyone in League One, despite his advanced age, but he will require reassurances. Playing time is all that will interest him after experiencing a comeback at Birmingham, and this might be crucial in discussions with his current team or any prospective suitors. Given that Ryan Allsop recently joined the Blues from Hull City, it appears that his time at St Andrew’s is drawing to an end.
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