Sheffield Wednesday-linked striker hits out at 'disgraceful' 'circus' of a club

Taylor has hit 11 league goals in an injury-hit season and found himself linked with Sheffield Wednesday among others in January after Addicks chairman Matt Southall released a statement saying the forward had rejected a contract offer and that it had been rescinded.

Speaking to The Conv3rsation podcast, he revealed that a £4m move to Brentford was scuppered last summer and that the club had further opportunities to sell in January. Wednesday are not understood to have bid for Taylor, who will become available for a free transfer in the coming weeks.

“In October, [former Charlton owner] Roland Duchatelet was still the owner of the club and he offered me a contract,” Taylor said on an opening few weeks of the season that had seen him race to the top of the Championship scoring charts.

“The contract he offered me, had he offered it to me in the summer, I'd have signed it without hesitation. Yet in the summer when the conversation was had, his message to me was that I had a 50 per cent rise in wages for being promoted, which was reward for getting promoted and scoring 25 goals.

“I thought that wasn't right. A lot of people don't know this but I would still have earned more money at Sunderland in League One than I'm on right now.

“We said if he'd have offered that contract in the summer, not a problem, but with me having scored five in six and proved I can play at this level, this is my value.

“Roland then sold the club. Southall turns up and turns round in the press and says they offered me a contract that I rejected it so they rescinded it.

“It was less than the last owner offered me. Why would I sign that? He's used me as a scapegoat so all of the fans turned on me.

“The manager [Lee Bowyer] told him, this was what Lyle was offered, why would he sign that?

“He said don't worry Lee, we'll get him to sign it. No you won't. You won't because I know my value.”

Taylor doesn’t fit the age profile of the sort of transfer target Garry Monk has spoken about previously but could well offer a goal threat the Owls squad could well lose as the likes of Fernando Forestieri, Steven Fletcher, Atdhe Nuhiu and Sam Winnall approach the end of their deals.

Monk told The Star this week that while the identification of potential targets is ongoing, the coronavirus crisis’ effect on the club’s finances mean he has no way of knowing what sort of budget he’ll be working with.

Taylor revealed he has yet to hear from the club about a new contract offer.

“You could not even begin to imagine the circus that this football club has become,” he said. “The fans are the only ones that lose. It's a disgrace that this is happening.”