Ethan Erhahon has opened up on the complicated nature of his summer switch from Lincoln City to Bolton Wanderers.
The midfielder admits his departure from the LNER Stadium had been in the works for over a year, despite interest from the Championship.
Delayed Exit Ends in Promotion Ambition With Bolton
Bolton Wanderers’ new midfielder Ethan Erhahon has revealed the long-running nature of his exit from Lincoln City, explaining that both the timing and finances delayed a move that had been “pretty close” on multiple occasions.
The midfielder was heavily linked with moves to Swansea City and Oxford United last summer, only for bids to be rejected. A similar pattern followed in January, leaving Erhahon to complete a second full season with Lincoln while remaining aware it would likely be his last.
“I’d had a few things fall through,” he told The Bolton News. “That all got pretty close. A few bids had been rejected. I felt like I was ready to leave then with all due respect to Lincoln.”
Erhahon joined the Imps from St Mirren in January 2023 and quickly became one of the most consistent midfielders in League One. His composed style and tactical discipline made him a key figure under Mark Kennedy and later Michael Skubala. However, despite being under contract, he always felt a step away from a move.
Having completed pre-season with Lincoln and travelled to Portugal with the squad, Erhahon finally sat down with the club’s hierarchy to agree a transfer that suited all parties. It’s understood Bolton revived interest only after a deal for Jesper Ceesay collapsed, and although Wigan Athletic were also interested, Wanderers secured a move that still provided Lincoln with a return on their investment.
“We had an honest conversation,” said Erhahon. “Maybe now is the best time for all parties to move on so that they can get what they see as a profit.”
“It is a business, football, isn’t it? They valued me at a very, very high price last summer and the summer before.
“As you go on through your contract, you’re always going to decrease. I think there’s a point when you need to look and be honest and say, listen, now is maybe the best time to move on and stuff. We came to an agreement.”
Writer’s View
Lincoln City never hid the fact that they had a price they wanted for Erhahon, a price that those Championship clubs were almost willing to match last summer. However, an injury-hit season, one marred by a stupid sending off (ironically, against Bolton), seemingly contributed to driving down his price. The Imps were under no pressure to sell with two more seasons of contract on the player, but took the decision to do so.
Let’s hope that Bolton can be the vehicle the midfielder needs to progress his career, or for fear of another ‘complicated’ transfer exit in a season or two.
