Well, that could be that. The closure of the 2009-2010 loan window has almost certainly shut the door on the career of a man who will go down as an Albion great, Nicky Forster. Following his spat with Gus Poyet over a new contract back in January and his subsequent dropping from the team, the writing has been on the wall for sometime but it was confirmed today with the news that Forster is moving on-loan to Charlton Athletic to help them in their bid for promotion to the Championship.

Forster has repaid every single penny of the bargain £75,000 that Dean Wilkins paid for him back in 2007, netting 51 goals in 119 games in his just shy of three seasons at the club. Indeed, his goals and performances have been one of the few highlights of the last few seasons barren Withdean form, and it is just a shame that the potentially explosive strike partnership of himself and Glenn Murray never got the chance to do what they threatened to do on the rare occasions both men were fit and on form in firing us up the table.

Coming in are ex-England international Lee Hendrie from Derby County. This means that, alongside Andrew Crofts and fellow loan signing Diego Arismendi, we now have three full internationals competing for midfield roles. Hendrie looks to be, to all intents and purposes, a proper Gus Poyet player in that he gets the ball down and plays it on the ground. Quite where he is going to fit in remains to be seen, but with Lua Lua out for some time it could well be in a wide role.

Two other somewhat perculiar signings are Danny Naisbitt, who leaves his prestigious role as number two ‘keeper at Blue Square Premier side Histon, and Ashley Barnes, a striker from Plymouth who netted six goals on-loan at Eastbourne Borough last season.

Naisbitt is, on paper at least, a sensible signing. One injury to Peter Brezovan and you would otherwise be looking to chuck a youth team keeper into what could still turn out to be a relegation battle as we are still not mathematically safe. The hope has to be that nothing does happen to Brezovan, and that if the chance does arrive once safe to give Walker some games we take and see whether another hyped young keeper is actually going to be good enough, rather than giving game time to a 31 year old who isn’t going to be here next season.

Barnes is the more worrying addition, as even with Forster our strikeforce was down to the bare bones. Glenn Murray is in the midst of the longest run of games in his Albion career, and long may it continue as otherwise we could be up a pretty brown river without a paddle. Should Murray miss a game, we will be relying on an ex-Cambridge striker in Holroyd, an ex-Eastbourne Borough loanee in Barnes, and Gary Hart, and I don’t think there is any need to bring out that overused fact about when his last league goal was (partly as I can’t actually remember!)

Judging by this loan window, we are in for another busy summer of transfers. Forster and Dickinson out is going to require two new quality strikers to come in, and Gus is still obviously not happy with the midfield situation. The quicker he guides us to mathematical safety, the quicker he can take a look at those fringe players and just how much of an overhaul is going to be needed in the summer.

Exciting times ahead then – but lets take a moment to remember the past. Thanks for everything you have done Nicky, it’s a shame you will probably not pull on the blue and white stripes at Falmer and all the best in your quest to fire Charlton to promotion – you deserve it!