Charlton Athletic are not expected to make an attempt to bring Patrick Bauer back to The Valley in the January transfer window.
The 31-year-old German centre-back scored the winning goal for the Addicks in their League One play-off final against Sunderland in 2019.
Bauer was offered a long-term contract by Charlton that summer but chose to join Preston North End on a free transfer.
North End manager Ryan Lowe recently revealed that he was open to the defender leaving on loan in the upcoming window. Bauer’s Deepdale terms are set to expire at the end of June.
He has played just 64 minutes of championship football for Preston in the current campaign and has been on the bench once in their last six matches.
Bauer saw his 2020–21 season last just 15 matches before he ruptured his Achilles. He returned to feature 34 times in the league the following season before his minutes massively dropped in the 2022–23 campaign, playing eight times in all competitions.
The South London Press understands that Charlton is not considering Bauer, who made 135 appearances after arriving from Stuttgart.
The Addicks are targeting adding experience in the window and want players who can make an instant impact on the pitch.
Bauer’s only 90-minute outing for Preston this season was in their EFL Cup tie against Salford City.
He signed an extension in January 2022 until the summer of 2024.
Lowe told the Lancashire Post: “Patrick is a fantastic pro and a fantastic person. His attitude and application on a daily basis are different.
“I have not got a bad word to say about him. When I came through the door, he was already in contract negotiations and I, as the manager, honored the contract when he was playing for me because I think it was fair to do that.
“There were some contracts that weren’t honored, and people moved on. But I felt, in Patrick’s case, it was right to honour it. He was playing week-in-week-out and found it tough last season, not playing many games. He had a couple of issues, injuries, and whatnot. But when he has been called upon, he’s been of a different class. I said the same thing to Patrick, that if he was needed tomorrow, I would play him, no issue.”
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