Charlton Athletic boss Chris Powell has admitted his admiration for Manchester United midfielder Nick Powell.
Powell is starring on-loan at Wigan Athletic.
Addicks boss Powell told the South London Press: "He was a player that interested us, alongside many other Championship clubs.
"But he is close to Manchester with his move to Wigan, they can keep an eye on him and they had Premier League status recently, which I'm sure would have attracted him.
"Owen Coyle is reaping the benefits of having the parachute payments and Roberto Martinez leaving a decent squad, albeit three or four have moved on. He still has a strong core of players that will be very, very good at this level.
"I know my players and if they perform to their full capabilities then we'll give any team in this league a game. I'll be looking for us to do that after our recent run."
