Bowyer says the on-loan Reds winger – who criticised Forest in September – may not see his loan spell from the City Ground extended.
Nottingham Forest winger Jamie Ward could be heading back to the City Ground in January, according to the manager of his current loan club.
The 32-year-old joined Charlton Athletic in August on a deal which, at present, lasts until the first day of the New Year, according to Transfermarkt.
Addicks boss Lee Bowyer, speaking to the South London Press & Mercury, could not promise that he will be able to retain Ward for the remainder of the 2018-19 campaign.
Bowyer also suggested that Forest could potentially ask for a bigger percentage of the Northern Irishman’s salary to be paid by Charlton, something the League One side may not be able to do.
“He has got to go back, for sure,” the former Leeds midfielder told reporters. “It just depends what Forest want again and what Jamie wants.
“He has done well for us but we just don’t know what Forest are going to want for him… (they) might say we want more now and we ain’t got more. We have got our budget, that’s the way it is. So a lot will rely on Forest as well.”
Back in September, Ward caused controversy with fans of his parent club when, speaking to the same outlet, he described being part of the “bomb squad” as “horrific” and added that he knew “a lot of clubs where you are treated a lot better than we were at Forest”.
At the time, some fans laid into the veteran winger on Twitter once the story broke out:
If Ward does end up coming back to Forest in January, it remains to be seen whether he leaves on loan again – and chances are, with his Reds contract up at the end of the season, he may not put on their shirt again – or is given a chance by whoever the manager may be at that point – in which case, he will have to win the fanbase over once again.
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