Home
Ian Evatt says Wanderers have not yet had any tangible interest in striker Dion Charles from the Championship.
Reports earlier this week linked the Northern Ireland international with Stoke City and Watford but the Bolton boss claims the only recent bid he has had to field was from Bristol City for George Thomason – a move turned down.
Charles was the club's top scorer last season, becoming the first player to top 20 goals in two decades.
The speed at which City’s interest in Thomason evolved into a firm offer makes Evatt acutely aware that he must be prepared in the final two weeks of the transfer window.
But he insists there has been no indication from Charles that he is pushing for a move elsewhere.
“I don’t get any sense from Dion that he wishes to leave this football club,” he told The Bolton News. “He loves being here and his relationship with the club and the fans is excellent.”
“Obviously players and managers are always linked at this time of year, especially when they are doing well. I wouldn’t be surprised to see our players linked or perhaps bid for, but we’ll always make the best decision for Bolton Wanderers. Right now, there is nothing to speak of.”
Wanderers are nevertheless investigating options in all positions, just in case they needed to move quickly in the coming weeks.
Technical performance director Chris Markham and his recruitment team have worked closely with Evatt to assemble a list of options – and if speculation turns into something more concrete, the club should be ready to act quickly.
“When you do things right and your players are performing well then you are always going to have stories and links,” Evatt said.
“For me and for us it is about being smart with player trading. We have to make sure that nobody is irreplaceable and that we do have other options just in case something happens.
“In the middle of a transfer window things can progress overnight, we found that out with George last week.
“Myself and Chris work very hard on planning for the future. It’s great that our players are being linked with other clubs, especially those higher up, because it means that they are doing pretty well, and the team is doing pretty well.
“It should be a celebration, not something we worry about.”
After coming to the club just over three years ago with only a handful of contracted players, Evatt is now proud of the strength he has established in the squad.
“I see my job as winning football matches, week to week, that’s the most important part, but also there’s a duty to the board, to Sharon Brittan, to develop and create assets so this club can be stable into the future. It is a part of my job that I take very seriously,” he said.
“I am fortunate that my job here isn’t seen as a transient one. Managers come and go and there is a lot of short-term planning and thinking in football but that hasn’t been the way here.
“To have long-term ambition and strategy you also need results. We have been fortunate to do that as well as build a squad with assets on the pitch.”
Source