Charlton Athletic manager Lee Bowyer has said that his new contract at the club is close to being finalised.

The Addicks have this month seen East Street Investments finally complete their takeover of the club, and Matt Southall installed as the new chairman.

Fans are elated with the news, and it comes just in time for Bowyer to do some January spending of the Middle Eastern consortium's wealth.

Bowyer though had publicly stated earlier in the month that he was unhappy to wait until the end of the month to discuss his new deal at The Valley, and he was in-turn offered a five-year extension to his current deal on Thursday.

Speaking to London News Online, Bowyer said:

“We had a good meeting with the chairman and my agent over the weekend. We are not far apart.

“There are a few things that need tweaking. Hopefully we can sort those out soon.

“I am happy with the change in the timescale. I don’t think it will take long now. A phone call or two should get it over the line.”

Charlton fans will forever be indebted to Bowyer after last season's heroics in the League One play-off final, and they'd be glad to see him stay.

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His side though have struggled in the first-half of this season, after a plight of injuries left them with the bare-bones of a first-team.

They fought back twice to claim a point against league leaders West Brom on Saturday but sit in 19th-place of the Championship table - two places and five points above the drop zone.

The verdict

Bowyer and Charlton are a great fit and fans will be delighted to know that he's nearing on a new deal.

It also shows the club's commitment to Bowyer - they've got a clear vision for the next few years and now that Bowyer is set to be the man to lead them in the near future, they can finally start to prepare for a Premier League push.