Exclusive: Derby County and Wrexham AFC plotting moves for Bolton Wanderers striker | OneFootball

Derby County and Wrexham are keen on Bolton Wanderers forward Dion Charles

Derby County and Wrexham are both eyeing moves for Bolton Wanderers striker Dion Charles, Football League World can exclusively reveal.

The Northern Ireland international scored 16 goals in 36 League One appearances for Wanderers last season, firing his side to the League One play-off final.

Charles has also been a regular on the scoresheet for Ian Evatt's men this term, and has already notched seven goals and three assists in 24 third tier outings.

Derby and Wrexham plot moves for Bolton forward Charles

While Charles is one of the best forwards in League One, Wanderers currently sit four points below the play-off spots, following Saturday afternoon's 3-1 defeat to Rotherham United.

Their current 10th place spot in the third tier table is less than satisfactory for a club who finished third last season, and missed out on automatic promotion by just three points.

But the 29-year-old's attacking efforts have not gone unnoticed, as both Derby and Wrexham are keen on prising him away from the Toughsheet Community Stadium during the current transfer window.

He could be an ideal acquisition for Derby, who sit just four points above the Championship relegation zone, and are in need of more firepower as they look to avoid the possibility of an unwanted return to League One following promotion last campaign.

Meanwhile, after achieving back-to-back promotions from the National League to the third tier, Wrexham have established themselves as top-two challengers in League One, while the addition of a talented forward such as Charles could even help fire Phil Parkinson's men all the way to the second tier.

Charles could be keen to leave Bolton amid interest from the Rams and Red Dragons

The forward's current deal with Wanderers does not expire until June 2026, but he could be keen on an early exit, amid high profile interest in his services.

At 29-years-old, Charles is likely at the peak of his career, while the Rams could hand him his first ever opportunity to prove his worth at Championship level.

Meanwhile, the high-flying Red Dragons could well be plying their trade in the second tier next season too, and find themselves in the thick of the League One promotion battle, whereas Wanderers may face an uphill battle to land a play-off spot, after suffering three defeats in their last five games.