Charlton will find it impossible to keep Lyle Taylor if he continues scoring run, admits Lee Bowyer

Lee Bowyer fears Charlton will struggle to keep hold of Lyle Taylor in January as several Championship clubs line up a move for the in-form striker.

Taylor scored his fourth goal in as many games as Charlton maintained their unbeaten start with a 1-1 draw against Nottingham Forest on Wednesday night.

Charlton rejected a £4million bid for Taylor from Brentford on deadline day but Bowyer admits they face a battle to stop him leaving in January.

Taylor is the final year of his contract and Charlton have opened talks over a new deal.

But rival Championship clubs are poised to offer him a significant pay rise and Bowyer is resigned to losing the 29-year-old.

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Bowyer said: “If he keeps scoring, I think it will probably be impossible to keep him.

"If he goes and scores 10 goals between now and January, someone is going to come in and offer more than they did in the summer.

“It is a difficult situation. He is a very good striker and everyone wants strikers. For me, he is a 20-goal-a-season striker no matter what division he is in.

"It is not just his goals, it is his physicality, he holds the ball up, he has got everything. We are going to try and sign him, but it is going to be hard.

“It is tough when you have other clubs offering money like they do in this division. We cannot compete, that is the reality of it.

“But we have him at the moment, I am just going to enjoy working with him while I can.”

Taylor has scored 14 goals in his past 17 matches and in that time only Raheem Sterling has more in all competitions in England.

If Charlton do lose him, then Bowyer could target Peterborough striker Ivan Toney to replace him.

Charlton had multiple bids rejected for Toney in the summer in a move they tried to fund with the £2m sale of right-back Anfernee Dijksteel to Middlesbrough.

Should Taylor be sold, then Charlton could return with a higher offer for the player, who scored 23 goals last season.

Owner Roland Duchatelet was willing to let Bowyer spend the money for Dijksteel and the manager hopes he will be able to reinvest any transfer fee received for Taylor.

Taylor was named Charlton captain against Nottingham Forest and put them in front when his header finished off a brilliant team move that had 22 passes in the build-up.

The goal had Charlton fans singing about the Premier League and the Addicks were heading top of the table for most of the night.

In the end, they had to settle for a point after conceding a late equaliser when Albert Adomah struck from close range, but they continue to impress under Bowyer.

Charlton played some outstanding football in the first half and had enough chances to put the game out of sight before the break.

Bowyer said: “People were saying we were going to get relegated.

“After watching what we have done to a good Forest side, I cannot see us getting relegated.

“That is the best 45 minutes I have witnessed since I have been in charge. We were frightening, created numerous chances, and should have been two or three up.

"And out of possession our press was frightening to watch. We are disappointed, but I am so proud of the players. Did they deserve a point? I do not think so.

“But if you do not take your chances there is always a chance that can happen. I said to the players, if you do what you did against Forest, then you will win more than you will lose.

"If we do that, then we will be okay.”

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