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Arsenal's interest in Rob Holding looks likely to dominate the summer headlines, with some Wanderers fans describing the transfer as the most important in the club’s modern history.
The England Under-21 defender has attracted admiring glances from Premier League clubs all season but commanding what the Whites feel is a fair price will not be a simple task after relegation to League One.
Some say Holding is worth £7million or more if future bonuses are factored in – a sum which would ease the financial pressure around the Macron considerably. Others believe a deal will happen for much less.
The player has wisely removed himself from all the speculation and insists he is looking forward to playing for Wanderers next season.
Will Whites fans be destined for heartbreak? Here we look at 10 Wanderers transfers we’d all love to forget.
David Jack (£10,890 to Arsenal, 1928)
The original swindle. Gunners’ legendary boss Herbert Chapman bartered Wanderers down from £13,000 – almost double the world record transfer – during a boozy session in a London hotel.
Francis Lee (£65,000 to Manchester City, 1967)
Wanderers’ relegation from the top division prompted Lee and Freddie Hill to seek a move elsewhere. The Whites took a long time to recover.
Peter Reid (£60,000 to Everton, 1982)
After transfer requests aplenty, a broken leg sustained against QPR meant Wanderers never got what their home-grown midfielder was worth.
Alan Stubbs (£4m to Celtic, 1996)
Home-grown defender Stubbs had angered Wanderers fans with some misguided comments on his way out of Bolton
Per Frandsen (£1.75m to Blackburn Rovers, 1999)
The transfer which led to the resignation of manager Colin Todd, who saw the sale of arguably his best player without his knowledge as a bridge too far. Caused uproar at the Reebok.
Eidur Gudjohnsen (£4m to Chelsea, 2000)
Wanderers’ controversial play-off defeat against Ipswich Town forced the club to cash in on their highly-rated Icelander to service spiralling costs. It was a bitter pill to swallow for manager and fans alike.
Michael Ricketts (£3m to Middlesbrough, 2003)
Plucked from relative obscurity and turned into an England international, Ricketts’ stock was high when he shocked Wanderers fans and leapt to Middlesbrough three days before transfer deadline day.
Nicolas Anelka (£15m to Chelsea, 2008)
Eddie Davies had funded the club record transfer of the French international in 2006 and took back his investment after selling him to Chelsea. The lack of a replacement stung the Wanderers fans, who turned their scorn on manager Gary Megson.
Gary Cahill (£7m to Chelsea, 2012)
Courted for years by Tottenham, Arsenal and Manchester City, it was clear England star Cahill would leave eventually. But as his contract ticked down the fees diminished and Wanderers were left with little more than they had paid Aston Villa for him.
Kevin Davies (free transfer to Preston NE, 2013)
The club skipper was released by Dougie Freedman after a decade of distinguished service, the emotion of the decision heightened by Wanderers’ failure to make the play-offs on the final day of the season.
Source
The England Under-21 defender has attracted admiring glances from Premier League clubs all season but commanding what the Whites feel is a fair price will not be a simple task after relegation to League One.
Some say Holding is worth £7million or more if future bonuses are factored in – a sum which would ease the financial pressure around the Macron considerably. Others believe a deal will happen for much less.
The player has wisely removed himself from all the speculation and insists he is looking forward to playing for Wanderers next season.
Will Whites fans be destined for heartbreak? Here we look at 10 Wanderers transfers we’d all love to forget.
David Jack (£10,890 to Arsenal, 1928)
The original swindle. Gunners’ legendary boss Herbert Chapman bartered Wanderers down from £13,000 – almost double the world record transfer – during a boozy session in a London hotel.
Francis Lee (£65,000 to Manchester City, 1967)
Wanderers’ relegation from the top division prompted Lee and Freddie Hill to seek a move elsewhere. The Whites took a long time to recover.
Peter Reid (£60,000 to Everton, 1982)
After transfer requests aplenty, a broken leg sustained against QPR meant Wanderers never got what their home-grown midfielder was worth.
Alan Stubbs (£4m to Celtic, 1996)
Home-grown defender Stubbs had angered Wanderers fans with some misguided comments on his way out of Bolton
Per Frandsen (£1.75m to Blackburn Rovers, 1999)
The transfer which led to the resignation of manager Colin Todd, who saw the sale of arguably his best player without his knowledge as a bridge too far. Caused uproar at the Reebok.
Eidur Gudjohnsen (£4m to Chelsea, 2000)
Wanderers’ controversial play-off defeat against Ipswich Town forced the club to cash in on their highly-rated Icelander to service spiralling costs. It was a bitter pill to swallow for manager and fans alike.
Michael Ricketts (£3m to Middlesbrough, 2003)
Plucked from relative obscurity and turned into an England international, Ricketts’ stock was high when he shocked Wanderers fans and leapt to Middlesbrough three days before transfer deadline day.
Nicolas Anelka (£15m to Chelsea, 2008)
Eddie Davies had funded the club record transfer of the French international in 2006 and took back his investment after selling him to Chelsea. The lack of a replacement stung the Wanderers fans, who turned their scorn on manager Gary Megson.
Gary Cahill (£7m to Chelsea, 2012)
Courted for years by Tottenham, Arsenal and Manchester City, it was clear England star Cahill would leave eventually. But as his contract ticked down the fees diminished and Wanderers were left with little more than they had paid Aston Villa for him.
Kevin Davies (free transfer to Preston NE, 2013)
The club skipper was released by Dougie Freedman after a decade of distinguished service, the emotion of the decision heightened by Wanderers’ failure to make the play-offs on the final day of the season.
Source