Lee Bowyer on the struggle to find strikers who are free agents and the uncertainty that Charlton owner Roland Duchatelet would sanction their arrival anyway

Charlton boss Lee Bowyer hopes he may be able to sign a free agent to bolster his attacking choices, but admits he isn’t sure if owner Roland Duchatelet will allow him to do so.

The Addicks are light in that department after losing 14-goal Karlan Grant to Huddersfield Town the January transfer window.

Fellow frontmen Nicky Ajose and Billy Clarke also left The Valley last month, with Josh Parker’s arrival from Gillingham the only addition to the promotion-hopeful’s roster.

The Addicks have been linked with a move for Joe Mason, who is unattached after leaving Wolverhampton Wanderers last month, although it has been reported that he has also been offered a deal by Plymouth Argyle.

“There are none out there,” he explained.

“Maybe [the one out there might go somewhere else]. There are others who are talking to him. I don’t even know if the owner will allow it anyway. It’s something I’d like to do.

“We lost three [Ajose, Clarke and Grant] and we’ve brought in one. We’ve been hopeful of bringing one more in, but it’s not been possible so far.”