Charlton will be back

Burnley yesterday confirmed that the Addicks had made a substantial seven figure bid for Gray that had fallen well short of our valuation and today Pardew has confirmed it and hinted that they may well up that offer. He said: "The truth is that we have bid for him. I don't think it's fair talking about fees so I'm not going to confirm any of that, but he is a player I would like to bring to Charlton."

He added: "Burnley have released the information. They want to keep him, he's a good player and they're a good club so I can understand that. I like him and would like him here, so whether we go back with a bigger bid, we'll have to wait and see."

Speaking on the situation today, Burnley boss Owen Coyle said: "We are not under any pressure to sell although we have to be level headed and look for a business point of view because if and when offers come in they may need to be considered seriously. At the moment that's not been the case and that is why that bid from Charlton was turned down.

"Ultimately everybody has a price, but we don't want to lose any of our players. I see Andy Gray as being an integral part of the team. There has obviously been conjecture in the press which is unsettling for everyone at the football club, particularly the fans. That's why we put the statement out about the bid to make everybody aware."

To use a quote often used in the past by chairman Barry Kilby, the ball is very much back in Charlton Athletic's court. We can only wait and see whether Pardew does indeed increase his offer.