FILE PHOTO: Soccer Football - FA Cup Third Round - Charlton Athletic v Norwich City - The Valley, London, Britain - January 9, 2022 General view of the corner flag inside the stadium before the match REUTERS/Tony Obrien/File Photo
(Reuters) - Former Sunderland executive director Charlie Methven's firm SE7 Partners has agreed a takeover of Charlton Athletic, the third-tier English soccer club announced on Monday.
SE7 Partners have signed a share-purchase agreement with the club's current owner Thomas Sandgaard, which is subject to approval by the English Football League (EFL).
Methven's firm will be the fourth owners of Charlton in as many years, with the club being sold twice in 2020, on either side of their relegation from the Championship.
"We'll now work with SE7 Partners and the EFL to meet the league requirements, which is a process that can take some time," Charlton chief executive Peter Storrie said.
"In the meantime, the day-to-day running of the club will not be impacted. Our preparation and recruitment for the 2023/24 season is well under way. We have our targets for our men’s team and our women's team.
"The aim is to put the club in the best position to achieve our targets for next season - a top-six finish for the men's team and further progression for the women's team."
Under Sandgaard, Charlton have finished seventh, 13th and 10th in League One.
They have also had five permanent managers in this period, with current boss Dean Holden taking over in December and leading them from 18th in the standings to 10th.
Charlton, based in south-east London, have had two spells in the Premier League, the last of which ended in 2007.
(Reporting by Aadi Nair in Nashik, India; Editing by Christian Radnedge)
