Charlton do not want to sell Lyle Taylor according to new Chairman Matt Southall.

The 29-year-old’s contract is up at the end of the season and it was reported earlier this week that the Addicks hierarchy had withdrawn an improved contract offered to the player.

Southall, representing new owners East Street Investments, had made extending the forward’s stay at The Valley a priority along with manager Lee Bowyer.

Taylor’s refusal to sign the new deal however has moved Southall to withdraw the offer in the best interest of the club, although he admits ‘the door is not closed’ on a positive outcome with Taylor staying beyond the summer.

“Do I want to sell him? No. Does Lee? Does he heck!” Southall said.

“It’s a new dawn and I’m trying to build sensibly, sustainably, but ultimately I won’t go over and above to anything that’ll compromise the long-term stability of the club.

“That isn’t sustainable.

“So long story short, I thought it was in the interest of the club to withdraw the offer.”

With just six-months remaining on Taylor’s contract and with the news the club would listen to offers for their talisman, Swansea, Nottingham Forest, Sheffield Wednesday and Brentford, who saw multiple bids rejected last summer, all reportedly showed an interest in the striker.

Southall, although admitting the contract had been withdrawn, did reveal that circumstances can change and that there's always a possibiltiy of a contract U-turn.

“The door is not shut," he went on to say. 

“Selling him is going to do nothing for the club.

“He’s our player, if he stays until the end of the season, brilliant.

“If he comes to me and says ‘let’s do this, I want to be part of this,’ then yes, of course, my door's open.”

'Down to the player'

Taylor arrived from AFC Wimbledon at the start of last season and established himself as a vital figure at The Valley, netting 22 league goals on their way to promotion.

Referencing the effect Alan Shearer had at Newcastle, something Lee Bowyer knew all about, Southall admitted he is aware of the importance of keeping Taylor at the club, both as a player and when it comes to enticing players to The Valley.  

“We made the offer (to Lyle) quite a few weeks ago,” he said.

“I’m trying to do what’s best for the club and the model I’m trying to implement, I thought it was a fair offer, a very good offer, it was way above the model.

“I met with his representative, we had discussions and the ball was in their court.

“Ultimately it’s down to the player.

“From the opening statement we wanted to tie him and Lee down, that’s not changed.”

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