Bees boss Uwe Rosler has revealed Karleigh Osborne's desire for Championship football next season is the stumbling block in talks over a new deal.

The 23-year-old, whose contract runs out in the summer after a decade with the club, claims he is in the dark over where he stands at Griffin Park.

Rosler has offered the centre back improved terms - including a 30 per cent pay rise - but the youth team graduate is keen to play in the Championship.

Brentford run the risk of losing Osborne in the summer - when he will be 24 - without either receiving a transfer fee or compensation.

Osborne says he has heard nothing from the Bees chief since turning down Brentford's initial advances in December, but has stated his preference for the club to cash-in on his services rather than him leave on a free transfer.

Rosler insisted the club is doing everything by the book to secure his services, but admitted the Bees may be fighting a losing battle while they remain in League One.

"We offered Karleigh a contract at the beginning of December with a 30 per cent pay-rise and we didn't hear anything for three weeks," he said.

"Then we got feedback from the player's agent. He was asking for Championship football and a two year contract.

"We have offered Karleigh a one year contract with an option based on games achieved - an easy number of games - so basically a two year contract.

"After we got that feedback we have spoken, because Karleigh said we had not come back to him. That is not true. We spoke to his agent via email.

"We told him at this moment in time we cannot give Karleigh Championship football because we are Brentford and in League One.

"We are too far apart on the money side of things and we didn't want to give him a straight two-year contract.

"We gave Sam Saunders and Gary Alexander the same type of contract - a one year contract with a number of games to be achieved before the second year kicks in.

"I believe we have done the right thing and treated a player who has been at this club for ten years very respectfully."

Brentford were booed off on Saturday after a 0-0 draw with Walsall - a third successive stalemate on home turf.

The Bees have struggled in TW8 all season and Rosler believes the surface at Griffin Park isn't helping his side's cause.

"The pitch didn't allow us to play the way we wanted to. Players needed three touches to control the ball and didn't have the time," he added.

"On a relatively small pitch as we have, you get closed down. Some players lost a little confidence on the ball and our game never really matched how we had trained all week.

"That is not a criticism of the groundsman. He is doing a terrific job. He inherited the pitch and needs time to get the pitch right.

"When we play away from home the pitches are bigger and surprisingly for me in this league, the pitches are very good.

"That is some explanation why we play better away from home."

And he admitted he is still trying to get the formula right, with his side sitting just outside the play-off places.

"I think it is very difficult to get technically very good players with an aggressive attitude and at a price which we can afford," he said.

"But I am happy with the squad I have. We are building and started that last summer and continue that.

"It was difficult, but I defend my players because there was no lack of desire."