CHARLTON plc chairman Richard Murray is looking for a speedy conclusion to the club’s summer transfer business.

After clinching the signing of Ipswich Town’s England Under 21 international Darren Bent for £3million on a four-year contract, Mr Murray confirmed that another four players would follow him into The Valley.

But in a surprise admission he confessed for the first time that the club had been too slow for their own good in entering the market last summer.

Midfielder Tim Cahill was one player who slipped through Charlton’s grasp before emerging as a huge influence in Everton’s campaign to qualify for the Champions League.

Mr Murray said: "It’s probably more expensive if you want to be quicker out of the blocks because we’re already picking up Darren’s wages a month or two before he can play for us.

"The other thing is that maybe we could have played what I would describe as more poker on the price. But if you want the player early then you’ve got to get in quickly.

"I think we learned from what happened last summer when things didn’t happen with our first choice transfer targets. Now, we would prefer to have everyone in place for July 4 when the players report back for training."

Having completed the signing of Bent, Charlton are closing in on Inter's Uruguay international central defender Gonzalo Sorondo and Oxford’s Wales Under-21 international striker Craig Davies.