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Wanderers hope to cap a sensational weekend by completing their January recruitment today.
Fresh from humbling high-flying Sunderland 6-0 at the UniBol, Ian Evatt hopes to bring in Gillingham’s Kyle Dempsey as his seventh and final signing of the window.
Wanderers have made a third and final bid for the 26-year-old midfielder and have also indicated what personal terms they will be prepared to pay.
But Evatt has at least one option to loan a central midfielder and have been strongly linked to Swansea City playmaker Yan Dhanda, who would be available until the end of the season.
Speaking after Saturday’s stunning win, Evatt said he was upbeat about his chances of signing Dempsey.
“I am really hopeful, and we are working extremely hard, but we won’t overpay anybody or overpay for anybody,” he told The Bolton News. “We want to do things strategically and sensibly and we won’t ever put this club at risk again, so if it falls inside what we believe it is worth, then we will do it.
“If it doesn't then we’ll move on to somebody else.
“You have to be willing to walk away in this sort of deal and we have drawn a line in the sand now. Everyone knows where they stand, so we’ll see how things develop.”
Wanderers’ six January additions – Marlon Fossey, Dion Charles, Aaron Morley, James Trafford, Jon Dadi Bodvarsson and Kieran Sadlier – all featured in the biggest victory ever seen at the UniBol.
Dapo Afolayan also returned to the team in fine style, scoring the second goal of the day and creating another.
Evatt had taken him out of the starting line-up in the last two games but his response – which also included a goal against Ipswich and an assist against Shrewsbury – has been exactly what the manager wanted.
“That’s exactly why you do these things,” he said. “Everyone knows what Dapo is capable of, but we also must remember that this is his first full season in men’s football.
“There is huge expectation on his shoulders and he has suffered as well as the rest of the team over the last two or three months.
“He’s had a dip in form but he is allowed to do that. There is nobody bigger than the team here, and if someone needs to take a rest and let someone else take the pressure for a period of time, we will do that.
“Dapo came out of the team but then showed the right attitude. Against Sunderland, he showed what he could do, and I thought the way he linked up with Dion Charles was excellent.”
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