Charlton Athletic have announced that manager Lee Bowyer has extended his contract at the club, just hours after claiming he had left the club.

The Addicks' controversial owner Roland Duchatelet released a statement on Monday evening claiming he has failed to reach an agreement with Bowyer, but he has now penned a one-year extension at The Valley following  a "period of negotiation".

Bowyer enjoyed a successful first full season in management at Charlton as he guided the club to promotion to the Championship following a dramatic 2-1 victory over Sunderland in the League One play-off final.

Duchatelet has now explained the surprising u-turn over the manager's future, as he claimed that Bowyer's initial demands would have made it difficult to find a buyer for the club.

“The problem was his agent was proposing things which would have increased the liability of the club to such an extent that it would have been difficult to sell. Well, increased the difficulty, because it’s difficult already," he told talkSPORT.

The Belgian has owned the club since taking over in 2014, but he is now looking for a buyer as Charlton heads into the second tier and he claimed he is looking to secure a deal as soon as possible. The terms of Bowyer's new contract means Duchatelet is still hopeful he can achieve this.

"I have a solution whereby I can keep Lee Bowyer, one of the better managers in the Championship, and keep the ability to sell the club," he added.

The Verdict

Duchatelet has a questionable track record at Charlton, but his explanatory comments do make sense.

However, it is truly bizarre that he felt the need to release a statement on Monday night appearing to confirm Bowyer's departure. It may have just been a matter of poor communication, as I am failing to see how the U-turn could have been so dramatic in a matter of hours.

However, this outcome will be hugely pleasing for Charlton fans. Not only in the sense that Bowyer has extended his stay at The Valley, but because the deal seemingly increases the chances of Duchatelet selling the club for good.