Bolton Wanderers are still licking their wounds from defeat in the League One play-off final, but with a squad of talented players, Wanderers fans remain hopeful of going one better next season.
Ian Evatt’s side were one of the most exciting sides to watch, not just in League One, but across the EFL last season.
Indeed, only Peterborough United’s 89 goals scored last season were more than Wanderer’s 86, with Evatt’s team dominating the possession in the majority of their games.
So despite falling at the final hurdle in May, the club remain in one of the healthiest places they’ve been in some time, with a playing squad littered with quality third tier players.
With any impressive season, however, comes the watchful eyes of clubs further up the pyramid, as they search for a gem from further down the leagues.
Therefore, Football League World spoke with our Bolton fan pundit, Oliver Jaques, to discover his thoughts on who he believes the club could expect to net the highest fee for this summer.
Bolton fan pundit’s three players who could net big money
Speaking with Football League World, Oliver believes that there are three players in particular who would command the highest fee, should any clubs come calling this summer.
He said: “I’d probably say either George Thomason or Ricardo Santos. Thomason because we’ve already rejected a rumoured £1m bid last season.
“On that basis, the club and Evatt are probably valuing that player higher, maybe £1.5m, maybe more.
“And then Santos for obvious reasons. He has got his faults, but I think as an outsider looking in, I think a lot of clubs have praised him across the season and a lot of managers will be looking and thinking, that’s the sort of centre-half we need.
🆕📈 Ricardo Santos, Bolton Wanderers 2021-22, Centre Back Template On my numbers Santos is the best centre back in League One. He’s incredibly well rounded, but I need to watch more of him live to assess his ability in person. pic.twitter.com/S4DlfXdnj8 — Liam Henshaw (@HenshawAnalysis) February 3, 2022
“It’s so difficult to call in this market with how quickly prices change, but I’d probably say anywhere between £1-2m.
“The only other one that may be a bit of a surprise to some people would perhaps be Eoin Toal. Still fairly young, starts every game for us at the back, starts regularly now for Northern Ireland as well.
Eoin Toal Bolton stats (all comps), per FotMob | |||
---|---|---|---|
Appearances | Goals | Assists | Avg. match rating |
81 | 8 | 0 | 7.1/10 |
“So I reckon he would command a fairly decent fee as well, probably anything between £1-1.5m.”
Bolton don’t need to cash in on star players
Continuity can be a key factor in getting over the promotion line, and adding to the core of his side rather than take away from it, should be Evatt’s priority this summer.
For the security of his position, Evatt needs to deliver promotion with Bolton next season, as after back-to-back play-off defeats, he needs to prove he can be the man to return Wanderers to the Championship.
But speaking in an interview with the club website, chairman Sharon Brittan has sent a clear message that Evatt will be backed in the transfer market this summer.
Brittan said: “Our support and belief in Ian and Chris to take us back to where we want to go is unchanged and that’s myself and the board and the investors.