Colchester United chairman Robbie Cowling has issued a firm hands-off warning to former manager Paul Lambert.

The transfer window closes tomorrow, with Lambert believed to be keen to take some of his former U’s players to new club Norwich City.

Caretaker boss Joe Dunne last week admitted that rival clubs could be looking to capitalise on the club’s lack of manager by attempting to swoop for their stars.

However, U’s supremo Cowling said he will fight tooth and nail to hold on to their prize assets.

He told the Gazette: “They are all under contract at Colchester United.

“They will not be going to Norwich City with me as chairman.”

While Colchester look set to reveal the identity of their new manager on Wednesday, the repercussions of Lambert’s departure rumble on.

The U’s maintain their stance that they bear no antipathy with Norwich.

However, the two clubs remain some distance apart in their discussions over compensation following the exit of Lambert, along with assistant manager Ian Culverhouse and football operations manager, Gary Karsa, earlier this month.

That means it looks as though a tribunal will be needed to decide exactly how much the U’s receive.

It is yet to be established whether or not Norwich breached Football League regulations in the build-up to appointing Lambert as their manager.

However, U’s chairman Cowling hinted that if found guilty, the Canaries could be hit by a severe punishment.

“We have never had a cross word with each other and that’s still the case today,” he said.

“I think it will end in a tribunal – the way things are going – but we are where we are.

“We are looking for a point deduction as well as a fine, because we feel the rules have been broken.” Cowling and his fellow board members interviewed their sixth and final candidate for the vacant manager’s position yesterday.

The manager in question is currently employed in another job and Colchester received the go-ahead from his club, before talking to the mystery man.

Cowling added: “We have spoken to another club about their manager and we had been given permission to talk to him.

“We also spent a day interviewing some of the candidates on Friday.

“The list of candidates who have applied for the job is amazing.

“I think the calibre of the people who have applied says a lot about our football club.

“What has been really nice is that the people who have come forward to register their interest have been of a very high quality.”

Aidy Boothroyd, Steve Coppell, Steve Cotterill and Paul Buckle have all been linked with the vacant manager’s position at the U’s.