Charlton Athletic cannot match financial terms offered by other clubs to Wembley hero Bauer

BY RICHARD CAWLEY

Charlton head of recruitment Steve Gallen has admitted that the club will be unable to match the offers that Wembley hero Patrick Bauer has received this summer.

The German’s last-gasp goal at the end of May took the Addicks into English football’s second tier. Bauer is a free agent in a little over two weeks.

The centre-back’s goal against Sunderland was undoubtedly a blessing first – as it ended a three-year stay in League One – but also a curse in some respects as it also boosted his profile.

Gallen admits that Charlton have not got the financial muscle to compete with clubs who have made moves for Bauer.

“That [Wembley] will help in terms of trying to keep him – picking up the trophy and he really, really likes Lee and Jacko [Johnnie Jackson] as well,” said Gallen.

“His agent is probably leaning on him. Pat will be thinking with his heart and his agents will be purely thinking with their heads. 

“They’ll be saying to him: ‘Charlton have made us an offer and these clubs have made these offers – which are way more. We recommend this’.

“It will come down to Pat’s decision. We would like to negotiate with Pat, but I think it is going to be a tough one – because he will be offered a lot more money to go elsewhere than he is going to get with us.

“His heart will be pulling one way, I imagine, but his head and his representatives will be pulling the other way.”

Gallen is hopeful that midfielder Jake Forster-Caskey will accept the terms offered to him. His deal is up on July 1.

“It’s too early to put deadlines on lads accepting these offers,” he said. “My feeling is that Jake will sign. That would be great for us and him.”