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David Flitcroft says Wanderers turned down several players on transfer deadline day who only wanted to “talk money”.
Despite landing an unprecedented nine new signings, the assistant boss claims negotiations were cut short with others who looked to capitalise on Bolton’s urgency.
Keith Hill and Flitcroft were handed the job on Saturday night but had already earmarked players who they felt could make an immediate impact at the UniBol.
The pair met with their new squad for the first time at Lostock yesterday and are convinced those who have signed are here for the right reasons.
“We turned a lot down,” Flitcroft told The Bolton News. “We got nine in but some, or their agents wanted to talk about that little bit of extra money, that little bit of extra comfort. What do we get paid? Can we get more?
“We didn’t want that one bit. We turned those down because they are not the right fit for the business plan or for us in the dressing room.”
New owners, Football Ventures, sanctioned a raft of deals for their new management team and also used their connections in the game to seal a move for Liam Bridcutt, the Nottingham Forest midfielder.
Some deals went right down to the wire – with Ali Crawford’s registration being rubber stamped just 10 minutes before the deadline and Josh Emmanuel getting the green light just 60 SECONDS before the window slammed shut.
But Flitcroft insists costs were not allowed to escalate, nor was money wasted on agents, as he and Hill called in favours from far and wide to boost their squad.
“It was something that was really important in our strategy to recruit players – that’s from us and the owners – but if you start talking money and you are coming to Bolton Wanderers, then you say no to them.
“If they want to talk about money then go to another football club.
“The players we brought in wanted to come for football reasons, and that was a key thing.
“We are in a precarious position in the league, there’s no getting around that. But we explained who we were, what we wanted and who we planned to sign.
"From there, positive recruitment led to more positive recruitment and we got what we needed.”
Source
Despite landing an unprecedented nine new signings, the assistant boss claims negotiations were cut short with others who looked to capitalise on Bolton’s urgency.
Keith Hill and Flitcroft were handed the job on Saturday night but had already earmarked players who they felt could make an immediate impact at the UniBol.
The pair met with their new squad for the first time at Lostock yesterday and are convinced those who have signed are here for the right reasons.
“We turned a lot down,” Flitcroft told The Bolton News. “We got nine in but some, or their agents wanted to talk about that little bit of extra money, that little bit of extra comfort. What do we get paid? Can we get more?
“We didn’t want that one bit. We turned those down because they are not the right fit for the business plan or for us in the dressing room.”
New owners, Football Ventures, sanctioned a raft of deals for their new management team and also used their connections in the game to seal a move for Liam Bridcutt, the Nottingham Forest midfielder.
Some deals went right down to the wire – with Ali Crawford’s registration being rubber stamped just 10 minutes before the deadline and Josh Emmanuel getting the green light just 60 SECONDS before the window slammed shut.
But Flitcroft insists costs were not allowed to escalate, nor was money wasted on agents, as he and Hill called in favours from far and wide to boost their squad.
“It was something that was really important in our strategy to recruit players – that’s from us and the owners – but if you start talking money and you are coming to Bolton Wanderers, then you say no to them.
“If they want to talk about money then go to another football club.
“The players we brought in wanted to come for football reasons, and that was a key thing.
“We are in a precarious position in the league, there’s no getting around that. But we explained who we were, what we wanted and who we planned to sign.
"From there, positive recruitment led to more positive recruitment and we got what we needed.”
Source