Bolton facing a fight to keep Josh Vela

Wanderers are fighting to keep home-grown midfielder Josh Vela after interest from a Championship club was rebuffed last week.

The Bolton News understands two bids have been rejected for the 22-year-old, who has been identified as a key part of Phil Parkinson’s plans.

Vela is out of contract next summer and has not been offered any new deal to date. He was chased by Cardiff City through much of last season and though the Whites boss is keen to retain his services, a third bid is expected this week to further test the club’s resolve.

Parkinson reckons the Salford-born academy graduate wants to stay at the Macron Stadium after an encouraging start to the season.

Wanderers won their first away game in 495 days at Wimbledon on Saturday to register back-to-back victories at the start of the season for the first time since 2001.

But Parkinson does not want success over the first two games to temper the Whites’ determination to improve their squad in the next two weeks.

“There has been an offer but Josh wants to stay here,” Parkinson told The Bolton News. “We don’t want to sell anyone – we want to add to our squad.

“We can’t let the two wins cloud what we need to do in terms of our squad building.

“Charlton lost their opening game and then went straight out and bought someone. We can’t settle down and say ‘everything’s fine’ we need to push on again – and part of that is to keep our best players.”

Vela has featured in all three games in league and cup this season but ended up playing more than 90 minutes in the EFL Cup against Blackpool after an injury to Derik Osede.

“Josh ran himself into the ground against Sheffield United on the opening day and I wanted to rest him on Tuesday against Blackpool,” he said. “In the end we had to play him and he has found it physically tough today.

“But he is a good player and we would definitely like to keep him.”

Wanderers had to toil at the Cherry Red Records Stadium to seal their first away win since April 2015 but that didn’t prevent Parkinson celebrating a gritty performance.

“We said at the hotel the night before the game there is no better feeling after a six-hour journey than to take three points back home with you,” he said. “We know what this league will be like. We need to be able to grind out results when we are not at our best.”

Source

Everything in that statement points to the fact that they would sell him in a heartbeat but want the price to go up, if we wants to stay and we want him to stay sort his contract out it's easy as he won't be on a fortune.
But if he's angling for a move or we want to cash in then it's less clear-cut, in my opinion he has some good moments and some not so good but at the end of the day he is 22 years old so isn't a youth player.
Some players have 20 or 30 caps by that age so it's time to assess whether he has what it takes to kick on, and sign him on for longer or accept an offer.

He's garbage.

Boggersbelief wrote:He's garbage.

Is that ITK 

EDIT, I agree that he hasn't kicked on as much as many thought he would but garbage isn't appropriate IMO.
I actually think he could be a better RB than midfielder

whatsgoingon wrote:

Boggersbelief wrote:He's garbage.

Is that ITK 

EDIT, I agree that he hasn't kicked on as much as many thought he would but garbage isn't appropriate IMO.
I actually think he could be a better RB than midfield

Disappointing without a doubt, but PP says he wants to stay. he should dominate in this league but needs to step up.

utter shite, let's move him on.

scottjames30 wrote:utter shite, let's move him on.

Boggersbelief
He's garbage.

I know you and boggers have only got 1 brain between you but I thought you had half each and not took turns with it.

We know our football, we go to games you see.

Vela is another that people have been saying has "potential" for years. Apart from a few months at right back where he was excellent, he's been average at best.

I'd sell him if someone offered hard cash.

scottjames30 wrote:We know our football, we go to games you see.

Show us proof 

People keep talking about potential, most players have already started fulfilling that potential by the time they're 22, without Rooney the average age of the England squad in the Euro's was about 23.
He shows heart and occasional flashes of good play but overall you have to be disappointed with what he shows.

whatsgoingon wrote:

scottjames30 wrote:We know our football, we go to games you see.

Show us proof 

You have our word

Boggersbelief wrote:

whatsgoingon wrote:

scottjames30 wrote:We know our football, we go to games you see.

Show us proof 

You have our word

Sorry your word is not an acceptable currency here,

50/50 on it ........ if somebody offers silly money ......then away with him ....provided that money is used for other players of course.
Agree with some of the comments above ..... neither good/nor bad .....squad player at best and good to have around...unless we can get somebody better naturally.

Chris Smalling was dire for United the season before last, and the one before that too - in very much the same ways that Vela was disappointing last season - yet he won Player of the Year last season.

Any player at any level can have a season or two where they're absolutely shite, especially younger ones, and especially when the whole club is in turmoil.

We'd be absolutely stupid to judge Vela purely on how he played last season.

whatsgoingon wrote:

scottjames30 wrote:We know our football, we go to games you see.

Show us proof 

Just trust me, ok!

doffcocker wrote:
We'd be absolutely stupid to judge Vela purely on how he played last season.

Yes, let's judge him on how he played 4 years ago, that's a really good indicator of how good he is now .

Natasha Whittam wrote:

doffcocker wrote:
We'd be absolutely stupid to judge Vela purely on how he played last season.

Yes, let's judge him on how he played 4 years ago, that's a really good indicator of how good he is now .

Was he actually that good 4 years ago or did we just want him to be because he's come through our ranks.
I like the lad he looks humble and honest but haven't seen anything to convince me he's anything other than a lower league journeyman

Natasha Whittam wrote:

doffcocker wrote:
We'd be absolutely stupid to judge Vela purely on how he played last season.

Yes, let's judge him on how he played 4 years ago, that's a really good indicator of how good he is now .

Shut up you lovelength.

He has been fantastic for us whenever he has played, minus last season where basically everybody just saw the crisis we were in as an excuse to put in 50%.

You admitted yourself he had a few months where he was excellent. And that was in the Championship. When he was just 20.

He's 22 now - still a bit of time for development - and this is League One, and a fresh start under a new manager.

You'd have to be a right idiot to write him off at this stage. So, very unsurprising that you're doing just that.

He was always shit, it was propaganda, on how we bring good players through our academy, before we sold it, now we've sold it, we don't need the shit superstar anymore.