Charlton Athletic have made a very promising start to the new season under Lee Bowyer and are currently second in the Championship table after winning four of their opening six league matches.

One player who has been a key part of their success so far this season is striker Lyle Taylor. Despite having never played at this level before, the centre-forward has scored five goals in six league games and is the joint-top scorer in the Championship.

The 29-year-old joined Charlton from AFC Wimbledon on a two-year deal last summer and scored 25 goals in 45 appearances in all competitions for the Addicks last season, helping the team win promotion from League One via the play-offs.

However, after joining on a two-year deal last summer, Taylor is now in the final year of his contract at The Valley.

During a recent interview with London News Online, Charlton director Steve Gallen revealed that he is in talks with Taylor over a new deal and is hopeful that the striker will commit his future to the club.

This is something that Charlton need to sort out sooner rather than later, especially after Taylor's fine start to the new season.

It was reported during the summer transfer window that Brentford were interested in signing the striker as a replacement for Neal Maupay and the interest in him is only going to grow as the season goes on.

If Charlton are unable to tie him down to a new long-term contract before the next transfer window, then there is a very realistic chance that they could end up selling him in January.

Taylor is a fantastic striker and has been one of the most prolific goalscorers in the EFL over the past few seasons outside of the Championship.

It would be almost disastrous if Charlton were to lose a player of his quality on a free transfer, given how much teams pay for goalscorers in the current market.

If they are unable to tie him down to a new deal, the club might have no choice but to sell him in January, but they would not be able to demand a big fee for him, as he would be in the final few months of his contract.

If Charlton are going to establish themselves in the Championship again, it is vitally important that they are able to keep hold of their best players.

Even though Taylor has never played in the Championship before, Bowyer has been able to get the best out of him this season. Considering he has never played at this level before, his performances have been very impressive.

The Charlton boss must do whatever it takes to persuade the striker to commit his future to The Valley and get him tied down to a new contract, although that could prove easier said than done.