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Richie Wellens has had a very tough summer for one simple reason at Leyton Orient.
The O’s narrowly missed out on promotion to the Championship in 2024/25, with Charlton Athletic running out winners in the play-off final at Wembley in their place.
It was in controversial circumstances that Leyton Orient had won in the semi-finals, but without the goals of Charlie Kelman throughout the campaign, they would have struggled to finish in the top six.
However, with the striker now returning to his parent club QPR, and West Brom interested, it seems extremely unlikely that a Brisbane Road return will happen and therefore it is no surprise to see Wellens delve into the free agent market to bring in a replacement.
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Aaron Connolly is looking to find a home at Leyton Orient
It’s been a difficult few years for Aaron Connolly, and the former Brighton & Hove Albion striker was extremely open back in October when speaking about his addiction to alcohol that blighted his career.
After leaving Hull City last summer, the Republic of Ireland international spent a month in rehab and he later joined Sunderland. However, his game time was limited and he joined Millwall in the January transfer window.
His time at The Den started brightly, but he lacked consistent minutes and the Lions let him go in the summer. Now, he has the chance to shine in League One and if the 25-year-old can regain his confidence and form, then he would be an exceptional signing.
Connolly needs somewhere to settle and build. Leyton Orient can be that place for him with Wellens exactly the type of manager that he needs to help him in the coming months.
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Aaron Connolly will want his Premier League experience to help him
While the last couple of years have been tough, Connolly burst onto the scene in the early days of his career.
The ex-Luton Town loanee scored twice on his first Premier League start for Brighton, as his former club ran out 3-0 winners against Tottenham Hotspur in October 2019.
Although six years have passed, there is no denying that the forward still has the ability to be a huge threat in front of goal – particularly in League One. If Wellens can get Connolly firing, then he may have found his Kelman replacement for free.