Russell Slade has confirmed Charlton star Ademola Lookman was the subject of bids from Crystal Palace on deadline day.
The Eagles tabled an opening £4.5m offer for 18-year-old forward Lookman, but Charlton reiterated he was not for sale.
When asked about the substantial interest from Palace, Slade told News Shopper: “That’s exactly what happened. They were interested but we remained strong.
“Part of the window, other than adding to your squad, is also ensuring that your best players stay so I’m very happy Ademola is still a Charlton player.
“We will have to sit down and have a mature chat with Ademola when he gets back from England duty. We were in contact with his representatives yesterday but we were determined he stayed.”
Charlton were linked with several players yesterday and signed Burnley midfielder Fredrik Ulvestad on loan in the final few hours of the window.
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Slade added: “Freddy has got so much energy and a great work ethic. He trained this morning and you always want new players to fit in, and he’s certainly done that.
“There was just the one area on the pitch we wanted to address that we didn’t manage.
“But we were determined not to panic and to make sure any arrival would be the right fit and the right type.”
Former France international Alou Diarra has left SE7 after having his contract terminated by mutual consent.
The 35-year-old wanted to return to France to be closer to his family.
Slade said the midfielder had been a “true professional” since he took over in the Valley hotseat in June.
“Alou is a classy guy – he wanted to do this and the club have supported his decision,” Slade, 55, said.
“He wanted to go back to France to be with his family and we weren’t going to stand in his way.
“He’s had a difficult time with injuries but he’s stayed a true professional throughout his time here.
“He’s also very astute when it comes to young players, especially in France, and he’s offered to help us out in any way possible in the future which is a plus.”
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