Bolton Wanderers right to make transfer pivot in final week of January window | OneFootball

Rumours of Cardiff City forward Kion Etete joining Bolton Wanderers on loan is the right deal for the Trotters to prioritise this week.

Prior to the departure of Ian Evatt last week, who left the club after a four-and-half-year spell as manager, Bolton Wanderers were reportedly still interested in the signing of Jonas Therkelsen.

Those reports came from The Bolton News and the expectation is that, despite the change in management, that remains true with Director of Football Chris Markham in charge of recruitment and not Evatt, assisted by Ludonautics.

Therkelsen, a Norway U21 international attacking midfielder, would provide versatility to their attack, but there is a clear and obvious priority that the Whites should be aiming for instead.

The Wanderers' target would appear supplementary to an attack and a squad that is in desperate need of an out-and-out forward option, especially following the sale of Dion Charles to Huddersfield Town for a fee believed to be £750,000 earlier this month.

However, Bolton appear to have made the right shift in their focus with the League One play-off chasers now reportedly closing in on the signing of Kion Etete on loan from Cardiff City.

Bolton Wanderers need a striker

Over the summer, the aforementioned Evatt said Bolton wanted to have options so they could be more tactically flexible in matches and with team selection, so the Trotters prioritised creative signings to fit into a 3-4-2-1 system.

Klaidi Lolos and John McAtee joined from Crawley Town and Luton Town respectively, the likes of Karamoko Dembélé, Luke McCowan and Danny Armstrong were all linked, while Joel Randall joined the club from Peterborough United earlier on in this transfer window.

That leaves Wanderers with as many as six attacking midfield or second striker options with Carlos Mendes Gomes, Scott Arfield, and Aaron Collins alongside Lolos, McAtee and Randall.

Dan Nlundulu being loaned out to Cambridge United and Charles sold to Huddersfield, leaves former Burton Albion striker Victor Adeboyejo as the only out-and-out striker currently in the Bolton squad.

The limiting effect this has had on Wanderers’ ability to shift away from a 3-4-3 or a 3-4-2-1 has led to fairly stodgy performances, but the lack of depth up-front is a worry if they want to mount a challenge for the top six and the play-off places; regardless of who replaces Evatt in the dugout.

A busy final week beckons for Bolton

Bolton, as mentioned, have brought in Randall as well as defender Alex Murphy on loan from Newcastle United, whilst Charles’ departure has also come alongside the sales of B team players Conor Carty and Nelson Khumbeni to Saint Patrick’s Athletic and Gillingham respectively.

It could already be described as a busy month, especially with a change in the dugout, but the Trotters must remain proactive and busy ahead of the final few days with Therkelsen the least of their concerns alongside a much-needed striker – amid interest from the Australian A League in vice-captain Gethin Jones, according to Alan Nixon and talk of Randell Williams also leaving the club.

Therkelsen, a Stromsgodset player, would boost Bolton’s options and allow them to play with a bit more width as well as a second striker in a ‘two’ up-front system, as he has did on occasion during the 2024 Eliteserien campaign.

However, whilst a good addition, Wanderers must prioritise the central striker role to challenge Adeboyejo and also provide much-needed depth – especially when considering they have lost the goals of Dion Charles, who remains Bolton’s joint top scorer in League One this season.

Whether that be a loan move for someone in the Premier League, as Evatt had hinted at before his departure, for someone such as Jayden Danns, Divin Mubama or Will Lankshear; Wanderers have been broad in their search for players in recent years. Notts County striker Alassana Jatta has enjoyed a strong first-half of this campaign and would fit the profile of what Wanderers want.

Etete perhaps, once again, doesn't fall directly into the category of an out-and-out striker, so there may yet be an indication of an attacking departure due to a lack of guaranteed minutes for the likes of Arfield or Mendes Gomes, as well as there being previous interest in Victor Adeboyejo.

Whoever it may be, and whether or not other deals are easier to get done first, Wanderers must prioritise a number nine before the close of the window or risk another season of failing to fulfill their goals of getting back into the second-tier.