Bolton Wanderers are hoping to bolster their forward line this summer and are eyeing up an audacious move for one of the best players in League One last season, according to the latest reports.
The Trotters have been quite active in the transfer window so far as head coach Ian Evatt looks to take his side back to the Championship at the third time of asking, having painstakingly missed out in the previous campaigns during the play-off stage.
The club allowed fullback Declan John and forwards Cameron Jerome Jon Dadi Bodvarsson to leave at the beginning of July when their contracts expired at the Toughsheet Community Stadium. However, Bolton have already acquired the signatures of goalkeeper Luke Southwood, who recently left Cheltenham Town after the Gloucestershire club’s relegation from the third tier, while former Burnley man Scott Arfield, defender Chris Forino and midfielder Klaidi Lolos have also been brought through the doors.
Nevertheless, League One is now much stronger than last season due to the additions of big-spenders Birmingham City, Wrexham and Huddersfield Town so Bolton Wanderers will need to continue strengthening their first-team squad in an attempt to finally get out of the division.
Hence, the Greater Manchester team have been linked with an ambitious move for a player who has garnered interest from clubs in the Championship. According to The Bolton News, the Trotters have made contact with French side Stade Brestois to potentially sign former Blackpool loanee Karamoko Dembele on a permanent basis.
The 21-year-old spent the entirety of last season in League One with Neil Critchley’s Seasiders as the Lancashire club missed out on a spot in the play-offs. However, Dembele certainly impressed, scoring nine goals and recording 14 assists in 43 appearances which saw his market value rise to between £1.8-2.8 million, as per FootballTransfers.
Unfortunately, Evatt’s side are not the only team in the running for the Englishman as Yorkshire clubs Sheffield Wednesday and Leeds United have also been linked with Dembele during the summer transfer window.
Writer’s View
This would be an unbelievable signing for Bolton Wanderers. Dembele is a player who excelled in League One last season with Blackpool and would undoubtedly do even better under Evatt’s guidance in a stronger team.
Nonetheless, it seems like a fantastical acquisition. The playmaker was too good at times for England’s third tier in the last campaign and may want to try his luck in a stronger division such as the Championship. Furthermore, it’s unlikely that Bolton would even have the funds to complete a potential seven-figure deal for Dembele, especially if they find themselves in a bidding war with a side like Leeds or Sheffield Wednesday.
Deputy Head of Writing