Davids rejects Charlton's plea for fresh blood

Charlton Athletic have been thwarted in an ambitious attempt to sign Edgar Davids from Tottenham Hotspur. Their manager, Alan Pardew, had targeted the Dutchman to add experience and "character" to his midfield for the relegation battle ahead.

"I thought he'd be the right character to deal with the situation we are in," Pardew said yesterday of the 33-year-old Dutchman who is out-of-contract at White Hart Lane at the end of this season. "A bit like Ben Thatcher, but unfortunately we couldn't agree with Tottenham or the player. We are looking for that kind of experience and attitude.

"It would have been great for Charlton fans to see Edgar Davids run out in a Charlton shirt for these last 16 or 17 games and with the sort of attitude he has. Unfortunately it was close but it never quite happened."

Davids, the former Barcelona and Juventus midfielder, is expected to leave Spurs this month, having made just eight starts this season. He has already been linked with a lucrative move to the United States. Last week Steve Morrow, the former Arsenal player who is now the coach of FC Dallas, claimed that he was in negotiations with Davids.

Pardew has now turned to other targets and is working hard to strengthen his team, which is six points adrift of safety, before the end of the January transfer window. He has already sold Djimi Traoré to Portsmouth for £1m and brought in Thatcher for £500,000 as his replacement.

Pardew has also been strongly linked with a loan move for the Seville striker Kepa Blanco Gonzalez. The Spanish under-21 international is also attracting interest from several other clubs in the Premiership. "We haven't got a lot of money," Pardew said of his transfer budget. "We are having to be creative to compose a deal. It's not easy."

Pardew has received a boost with the news that Darren Bent is responding well to treatment following his knee injury. The striker has been pencilled in to return for the away match against Manchester United on 10 February. Bent, like Luke Young who has been missing since December with a knee injury, is now running again.

Pardew's predecessor, Les Reed, meanwhile, has said that it was his choice to step down as head coach. "I took the decision so the chairman could get the ball rolling on Alan Pardew's appointment," said Reed, who was in charge for just 41 days at The Valley following the sacking of Iain Dowie.