"We've got a list of targets, the scouts will be out on the road, we'll be making enquiries and we will hope to improve and strengthen, widen and deepen our squad in January like everybody else.
"We're looking for a number of players but I'm sure that most other clubs will be looking at the same players, so we have to see how it pans out because we don't want to just bring players in for the sake of having more bodies around.
"We want the right players in the right positions and I'm sure we'll have some competition, but I'm hoping that we'll be able to bring three or four new players in. We'll also be able to bring Simon Walton back from Ipswich so there could be four or five new faces around in January."
And that message was also extended to the man who brought Bent to SE7, former Charlton manager Alan Curbishley, who himself signed a new contract this week with West Ham United.
Les said: "I'm looking all around the team really but we do need to strengthen our attacking play. That's not just up front, though, that's also in terms of midfield players or widemen who can score goals.
"The midfield is a key area for us, and we probably have the fewest strikers in the league, out-and-out central strikers, so we have to improve on that as well.
"I expect that a number of clubs will show interest in Darren because he's a top proven Premiership goalscorer and we all want those - but I have him.
"It wouldn't surprise me if West Ham, along with others, show an interest but our intention is to keep Darren here and scoring goals for us.
"Alan will know how determined we are to keep him and may decide he'd be better off focusing his attention elsewhere rather than wasting his time coming here."
Reed, who previously worked for the Addicks as first-team coach under Curbishley, added: "Alan's an East London lad like myself, born up the road from West Ham and played there, so I suppose it was inevitable that the vacancy would turn up at the right time - and it has and I'm delighted for him.
"It's a big challenge for both of us. I hope he does very well, but not quite as well as us."
Home | Away | |||||||||||||
| Team | P | W | D | L | F | A | W | D | L | F | A | GD | PTS | |
| 1 | Man Utd | 17 | 7 | 1 | 1 | 20 | 4 | 7 | 1 | 0 | 18 | 5 | 29 | 44 |
| 2 | Chelsea | 16 | 6 | 2 | 0 | 15 | 4 | 5 | 1 | 2 | 11 | 5 | 17 | 36 |
| 3 | Portsmouth | 17 | 6 | 2 | 1 | 16 | 6 | 2 | 2 | 4 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 28 |
| 4 | Liverpool | 17 | 7 | 2 | 0 | 18 | 3 | 1 | 2 | 5 | 5 | 12 | 8 | 28 |
| 5 | Bolton | 17 | 5 | 1 | 3 | 12 | 7 | 3 | 2 | 3 | 7 | 8 | 4 | 27 |
| 6 | Arsenal | 16 | 4 | 4 | 0 | 16 | 4 | 3 | 1 | 4 | 10 | 9 | 13 | 26 |
| 7 | Reading | 17 | 5 | 1 | 2 | 11 | 9 | 3 | 1 | 5 | 8 | 12 | -2 | 26 |
| 8 | Aston Villa | 17 | 4 | 3 | 1 | 12 | 7 | 1 | 7 | 1 | 9 | 10 | 4 | 25 |
| 9 | Tottenham | 17 | 7 | 1 | 1 | 17 | 7 | 0 | 3 | 5 | 3 | 14 | -1 | 25 |
| 10 | Everton | 17 | 5 | 2 | 1 | 13 | 5 | 1 | 4 | 4 | 7 | 12 | 3 | 24 |
| 11 | Wigan | 16 | 3 | 2 | 2 | 10 | 10 | 3 | 2 | 4 | 10 | 11 | -1 | 22 |
| 12 | Man City | 17 | 4 | 4 | 0 | 7 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 7 | 7 | 19 | -6 | 20 |
| 13 | Fulham | 17 | 4 | 1 | 3 | 7 | 7 | 1 | 4 | 4 | 9 | 20 | -11 | 20 |
| 14 | Newcastle | 16 | 3 | 2 | 3 | 9 | 9 | 2 | 2 | 4 | 6 | 9 | -3 | 19 |
| 15 | Middlesbrough | 17 | 4 | 2 | 3 | 8 | 10 | 0 | 3 | 5 | 6 | 12 | -8 | 17 |
| 16 | Sheff Utd | 17 | 2 | 4 | 3 | 11 | 13 | 2 | 1 | 5 | 2 | 9 | -9 | 17 |
| 17 | Blackburn | 16 | 3 | 2 | 4 | 11 | 12 | 1 | 2 | 4 | 3 | 9 | -7 | 16 |
| 18 | West Ham | 17 | 4 | 1 | 3 | 8 | 8 | 0 | 1 | 8 | 2 | 16 | -14 | 14 |
| 19 | Charlton | 17 | 3 | 2 | 3 | 6 | 7 | 0 | 1 | 8 | 7 | 21 | -15 | 12 |
| 20 | Watford | 16 | 1 | 5 | 2 | 7 | 7 | 0 | 3 | 5 | 3 | 13 | -10 | 11 |
| | | |
"I've really enjoyed my time at the club and that has made it a much harder decision than it might have been.
"But they know how I feel about Charlton, which is my club. It's difficult to leave, but I'm very excited about coming back to Charlton."
