ALFIE May revealed his decision to leave Charlton Athletic was for family reasons.
May, 31, has joined League One rivals Birmingham City on a three-yer deal for an undisclosed fee.
In his one season at The Valley following his £250,000 move from Cheltenham Town last summer, May won the League One Golden Boot with 23 goals, was named in the EFL League One team of the season, and claimed the Addicks’ player of the year and players’ player of the year awards. May scored 27 goals in 50 games in all competitions in 2023-24.
May handed in a transfer request after Charlton rejected an initial Blues bid for him. Charlton accepted a bid over the weekend and May agreed personal terms. Another side relegated from the Championship alongside Birmingham last season, Huddersfield Town, had also bid for May.
“It’s a difficult one for me because I’m leaving my hometown, but it’s football and I’m doing it for my family,” May said as he addressed Addicks fans on Charlton TV to explain his decision. “Hopefully I leave on good terms. It’s only been a year, but it’s a year that I won’t forget. I thank everyone for the support and the love they showed me since I first signed.
“The main one for me is that my wife and kids have moved back up north. We knew moving to the London area was going to be a big ask for my missus, it was something new for her. So that was a big one, she just couldn’t get settled down here, she missed her family, she missed her friends.
“The other reason was my eldest was going into big school and he got rejected from three schools and got tried to put into another one. My wife and I sat down and had a good conversation regarding that and we made a decision that I needed to move closer to my family’s home. I think for me it was the right thing to do.
“To be closer to the wife and kids is massive for me. The age I am now I feel I don’t want to miss out on anything.”
Charlton manager Nathan Jones added: “Our focus is coming out of this transfer window categorically stronger than we were at the start of the window. We understand Alfie’s motivations for wanting to move on and we’ve been able to secure a really good deal for the club which allows us to reinvest in adding quality to our squad.
“Alfie did well for the club and myself last season. He worked hard throughout and scored some crucial goals, so we wish him all the best for the future.”
