Former Luton Town defender Amari’i Bell has joined Charlton Athletic following the expiry of his contract at Kenilworth Road, reuniting with former Hatters boss Nathan Jones – the man who brought him to Bedfordshire four years ago.
The Jamaican international, who made 157 appearances for Town and played a vital role in the club’s historic promotion to the Premier League, has signed a two-year deal with the newly promoted Championship side, to remain in the second tier after Luton’s relegation to the division below.
Bell becomes Charlton’s fourth summer signing under former Luton boss Jones, who earlier this week also swooped to sign goalkeeper Thomas Kaminski from his old club.
Bell told the Addicks’ website: “It’s a fresh start for me and one that I’m looking forward to as Charlton are on the way back up. It’s another chance to work with Nathan who is a great manager that knows how to get the best out of his players, and he certainly does for me. It’s going to be a great time.”
The 31-year-old arrived at Luton in 2021 and quickly became a key figure in Jones’ side, offering versatility and experience on the left side of defence. His Premier League debut came in the 2023/24 campaign, making 21 top-flight appearances as the Hatters fought unsuccessfully to stay up.
Charlton boss Jones, said: “Amari’i’s someone I know well. I signed him at Luton and he did fantastically well for me. He knows how I want to play, he has Championship and Premier League experience, and he’s a wonderful athlete with pace and power. He will add to the group and we’re really delighted because left-sided centre-halves are very difficult to come by.”
This summer, Bell has been in international duty with Jamaica, where he’s earned 28 caps after making his debut against the USA in the season before he moved from Blackburn Rovers to Luton. He scored his most recent international goal last month in the CONCACAF Gold Cup against Panama.
