CHARLTON could be ready to offer Mark Fish a Premiership lifeline.

Londoners boss Alan Curbishley is understood to be lining up another move for the centre half who suffered the worst day of his Wanderers career in Saturday's 1-1 draw at Birmingham City.

The Addicks have remained admirers since the two clubs agreed a £1.5m deal in the summer only for the switch to fall through on medical grounds.

South London sources say Charlton are still keen but the asking price is a stumbling block with Charlton looking to pay closer to £500,000 for a man they could get for nothing in seven months or work out a swap deal, possibly with ex-Barnsley and Nottingham Forest centre half Carl Tiler who found himself fourth in line on Saturday behind Richard Rufus, Steve Brown and Andy Todd.

Fish's Reebok future certainly looked more uncertain than ever today, even without the Charlton link, after being replaced early on Saturday by Paul Warhurst - who has not played a competitive game of any description for 10 weeks - before being publicly criticised by his manager for his performance.

Reebok boss Sam Allardyce also questioned Fish's mental approach, saying: "Fish was playing poorly. He did not have his mind on his job and that was the reason for the substitution."

Asked whether the uncertainly surrounding Fish's future at the club is impacting on his performance, Allardyce added: "If he is letting whatever might be going on affect his game then that is nobody's fault but his own."

The Fish issue was in stark contrast to a confidence boosting day for the team which ended a run of seven successive home victories for fellow promotion hopefuls Birmingham with a performance full of toil and team spirit.

This latest development in Fish's recent Wanderers career can only heighten the belief that he will definitely be on his way out at the end of the season if not earlier.

He refused to sign an extension to his current contract recently after it appeared he was ready to do so.

His present deal expires at the end of the season when he will be able to walk away on a free and negotiate a potentially lucrative contract with another club.

That appeared to be his favourable option when he turned down Wanderers' offer of a new deal. And after this public criticism from his manager he is now more likely to believe his future lies away from the Reebok.