Charlton Athletic manager Lee Bowyer has admitted that it will be could to persuade star striker Lyle Taylor to put pen to paper on a new contract at The Valley, with Brentford and other sides keen to sign the goalscorer.

Over the course of the summer transfer window, Lyle Taylor was frequently linked with a move away from Charlton Athletic, with Brentford among those keen to sign him before the window slammed shut.

However, the deadline passed and Taylor remained a Charlton player, despite the efforts of Brentford. Now, with Taylor remaining at the club, manager Lee Bowyer confirmed that the club will be making an improved contract offer to try and keep him on board. But, the Addicks boss admitted that it could be difficult to compete with the likes of Brentford financially.

“The player has got to want to sign a deal,” Bowyer told the South London Press.

“The hardest thing now is his head has been turned by a very good contract offer by Brentford.

“We ain’t offering what Brentford are offering, we ain’t ever going to offer what Brentford are offering. But it is not just Brentford. There was another club interested in him but they didn’t want to pay the money – so they didn’t even make an offer. But we know they were interested in him.

“The most important thing is he is here and scoring goals. Of course, we would like to tie him down – that’s blatantly obvious. But unfortunately, as everyone knows, money talks. For Lyle, it is a difficult situation.

“We will be making him an improved offer, that’s for sure, then it is down to Lyle whether he wants to sign it. We have got a budget, that’s just the way it is.”