Charlton are reportedly preparing for West Ham to re-call midfielder Josh Cullen from his season-long loan spell at the Championship side in the January transfer window.
According to News Shopper, the Irish international has caught the eye of Manuel Pellegrini this season after yet another impressive stint with the Addicks a year after the 23-year-old central midfielder helped the London-based club gain promotion from League One to the Championship.
And this season has seen Cullen yet again thrive for Lee Bowyer’s side, with Charlton finding themselves in 8th place in the league table and the West Ham academy product being at the heart of all the action, with stats from Transfermarkt showing that the central midfielder has played every minute of Championship football so far this campaign.
With the young midfielder excelling yet again with the Addicks in a season that has already seen Charlton exceed expectations, as well as see Cullen play his first international matches for Ireland, it seemingly makes sense as to why Pellegrini is eager to bring the 23-year-old deep-lying playmaker back to east London.
But a re-call for Cullen could be an unwise decision for both the player and West Ham, as it is highly likely that the midfielder will be placed on the bench and behind the likes of Mark Noble and Jack Wilshere in the central-midfield pecking order at the Irons.
With the Hammers having a bloated midfield, Cullen will find it difficult to break into the first-team and establish himself as a member of the starting XI with so much quality already at the club, and although the Irish international has been on great form for Charlton in the past two seasons, the leap up to the Premier League is still a wide canyon to cross.
