Patrick Bauer's future at Charlton is up in the air as the club have admitted that they are unable to match the contract offers he is getting elsewhere.

Head of recruitment Steve Gallen admitted to London News Online that the club does not have the finances to compete with other teams that have made offers for Bauer.

The German scored the winning goal for Charlton to send the Addicks into the Championship, but his contract runs out at the turn of the month.

The Daily Mail reports that Rangers are interested in the centre-back, as well as a number of Championship clubs, including Hull, Preston, Blackburn, Wigan, QPR and Reading.

He was bought from Maritimo in Portugal in the summer of 2015 and has a been an important player at The Valley since.

Gallen says that he's still hopeful that he will stay, but says it might be a battle between his heart and his head.

Steve Gallen told London News Online: “That [Wembley] will help in terms of trying to keep him – picking up the trophy and he really, really likes Lee and Jacko [Johnnie Jackson] as well.

“His agent is probably leaning on him. Pat will be thinking with his heart and his agents will be purely thinking with their heads.

“They’ll be saying to him: ‘Charlton have made us an offer and these clubs have made these offers – which are way more. We recommend this’.

“It will come down to Pat’s decision. We would like to negotiate with Pat, but I think it is going to be a tough one – because he will be offered a lot more money to go elsewhere than he is going to get with us.

“His heart will be pulling one way, I imagine, but his head and his representatives will be pulling the other way.”

The Verdict

It's been a grounding experience for Charlton since they had to joy of winning the play-offs.

Normally you expect your club to start opening the chequebook once you go up via that method, but it has been far from that at the Valley.

A number of key members from that squad look like they are leaving due to lack of funds, such as Bauer and Williams, and even more worryingly, manager Lee Bowyer's future remains in doubt.

It's worrying for Charlton, who are currently in the process of takeover talks, as if their summer carries on like this then they are in big trouble next season.

Bauer is a very important part of this Charlton side and it's clear he has a lot of love for the club, but I really find it difficult to imagine him staying on. Bigger clubs are knocking at the door with a much bigger pay packet, and with the troubles surrounding the club at the moment, you can't blame him at all if he was to leave.