Roland Duchatelet takes over contract talks with Charlton boss Lee Bowyer

BY RICHARD CAWLEY

Roland Duchatelet has taken control of contract negotiations with Lee Bowyer – as the deadline for agreeing a deal with the Charlton Athletic manager ticks down.

Talks between Bowyer’s representative and Lieven De Turck had been deadlocked.

And Duchatelet has decided he needs to get involved as Charlton have only got until the end of Friday to try and strike an agreement.

If they do not then they run the risk of Bowyer, who won League One promotion via the play-offs last month, walking away.

The South London Press has been told that the Addicks chief wants to stay and also that Duchatelet has no desire to lose a highly-rated boss who has been linked in recent months with QPR, Derby County and West Bromwich Albion.

The Charlton manager has asked to be treated fairly in terms of a new deal after ending the SE7 outfit’s three-year stay in League One.