Alisher Usmanov is considering a move for Charlton Athletic after cashing in his Arsenal shares.

The 64-year-old Uzbeki - paid £600million by Stan Kroenke last month for his stake in the Gunners - wants to remain in English football, despite failing to influence transfer policy at the Emirates and deciding against buying into top-flight Everton .

Charlton are a club in turmoil, 11 years after being relegated from the Premier League and two seasons on from falling out of the Championship into League One.

Unpopular absentee-owner Roland Duchatelet is said to want around £20million for the the south-east London club he took over in 2014 for a similar amount — having this week described investing in football as “the mistake of my life”.

Usmanov was tipped to increase his links with Everton but is looking at third-tier Charlton (
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Getty Images)

Charlton are believed to be losing around £10million a year, with Duchatelet’s attempts to sell so far unsuccessful. Fans have led a series of protests at his running of the club and a series of cost-cutting measures which have angered staff.

Duchatelet said this week: “My conclusion is that the recipes from the business world are totally unsuccessful in football. [Investing in football] was a mistake.

“The football business doesn’t suit me. Too irrational.

Charlton fans have been trying to get Duchatelet out of their club for years (
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Getty)

“If you want to lose real money, buy a football club…Investing in football was the mistake of my life.”

The news comes just after local hero Lee Bowyer was confirmed as his boyhood club’s manager on a permanent basis after impressing during an extended spell in caretaker charge that saw them make last season's play-offs.

His side sit 10th in League One, but lost on penalties to AFC Wimbledon in the Checkatrade Trophy this week in front of just 1,244 fans at The Valley — which has a capacity of 27,000.

Bowyer got Charlton to the play-offs while interim boss and now has the job permanently (
Image:
EMPICS Sport)

Usmanov ended his 11-year association with the Gunners earlier this month after selling his 30 per cent holding.

He had indicated a willingness to add to the millions he's already injected into Everton, a club majority owned by his one-time business partner Farhad Moshiri.

But he now looking for an investment of his own and is understood to have spotted potential in Charlton.

A spokesperson for Usmanov refused to confirm that he has made contact with Charlton.

But she said: "Alisher Usmanov is not buying football club Charlton Athletic."