Charlton Athletic is one of four teams chasing Hull City full-back Cody Drameh.

According to Sky Sports News journalist Lyall Thomas, there is “uncertainty” over the player’s future.

The 24-year-old has slid down the pecking order at the MKM Stadium, having not played a minute of professional football for Hull since the end of November.

Based on this, the way appears clean for the Addicks, but there is one key factor that makes the signing doubtful.

One important issue that may prevent Charlton Athletic signing Cody Drameh

According to Sky Sports, Drameh is eager to go away in January to gain more minutes, and Hull are also willing to bargain, with 18 months remaining on his contract and him clearly not being a priority in Sergej Jakirovic’s plans as things stand.

Stoke City, Preston North End, and Millwall are all reportedly interested in signing Drameh.

That might be a particular challenge for Charlton, who are currently in 20th place, just five points clear of the drop zone and appear to be heading for relegation at some stage this season.

In contrast, the three other interested parties are in or near the play-off positions, eager to strengthen their team ahead of a promotion campaign.

For a player, that is a far more appealing prospect than potentially adding relegation to their CV, which may also have the added burden of needing to find a new club in a few months.

Charlton Athletic’s unique selling factor has likewise been taken away.

London clubs can sometimes get around such concerns by offering the opportunity to relocate to the English capital, along with all of the appealing trappings of city life for well-paid players.

Drameh is a London native who grew up in the Fulham system before moving to Leeds United.

However, whatever advantage this would normally afford Charlton is negated by the existence of Millwall, who are little under six miles distant from the Valley and also located in the capital.

Given that the Lions are now in fifth place, 11 points behind leaders Coventry City, a direct shootout between the two London clubs appears to be a difficult battle for Charlton to win.

Charlton Athletic will have to pull out all the stops to get Drameh.

As a result, Charlton will need to put up an appealing case for Drameh in order to persuade him that the Addicks are the ideal fit for him.

That might include assurances about playing time, which is the main motivation for the transfer, as well as some type of financial incentive, such as his weekly income, the security of a long-term deal, or clauses to protect him if Charlton gets demoted.

Drameh’s current contract pays him approximately £9,000 per week, according to Capology. According to the same website, Thomas Kaminski is Charlton’s highest earner at £20,000, with rates ranging from £10,000 to £15,000 more usual in the Valley.

That means that a large pay increase for Drameh would propel him into the highest tier of the Addicks’ wage structure, a commitment the club will need to be certain of before making it.

There’s no doubt Charlton can pull it off, but the other interested clubs make Drameh a difficult target for the Addicks.