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Wanderers are mulling over whether to make an increased offer to Bristol Rovers for Aaron Collins.
Ian Evatt has confirmed that Bolton had a bid – reported to be worth £600,000 – turned down by their League One rivals late last week.
Collins withdrew from Bristol Rovers’ squad to face Oxford United on Saturday and could now have played his last game at the Memorial Stadium.
Wanderers have also been in discussions with Blackburn Rovers about signing Niall Ennis on loan but with the transfer deadline just a couple of days away, the club is now set to decide between the two.
“We like both players,” Evatt told The Bolton News. “We have paid an interest in both of them as well.
“We made an offer last week to Bristol Rovers (for Collins), which we considered to be a pretty good one, and it was rejected. We are now thinking about what we do next.
“That could be another offer for Aaron but equally we could change tack and go down the loan route again. We are comfortable with where we are, in a good place, and whoever we bring in we are full of confidence that we will get the job done.”
Bristol Rovers are believed to want closer to £1million for the striker who has fired 39 goals in the last three seasons and won League One’s player of the year last term.
Although he has only returned five goals in the current campaign, he has also assisted in nine, a total bettered only by Derby County’s Nathaniel Mendez-Laing.
Wrexham and Charlton were both credited with an interest in recent weeks but The Bolton News understands that Wanderers are the only team in live discussions about a deal.
Collins faces an uncertain future at his club after pulling out of Matt Taylor’s squad last weekend – and asked whether that would strengthen his own bargaining position, Evatt said he did not want to interfere.
He said: “I don’t know anything about that. He isn’t our player, he belongs to Bristol Rovers and we have to pay them the ultimate respect.
“Whatever happens there is down to Matt and their board, I am sure they will have conversations with Aaron himself. But for us, we will try and do things correctly.
“We made an offer, it was rejected. We haven’t made another offer and we are currently considering our position, so that is where it stands for us.”
Ennis was an unused substitute for Blackburn Rovers in their 4-1 FA Cup victory against Wrexham on Monday night and has been cleared to leave the club on loan over the next couple of days.
The deal is complicated, however, by the club wanting a guaranteed fee of £500,000 in the summer to sign him on a permanent basis.
Wanderers are understood to be looking at other options in the loan market too – but are likely to test Bristol Rovers’ resolve at least once more before Thursday evening to try and secure Collins’ signature.
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