Home
Wanderers have given Bristol Rovers a ‘take it or leave it’ last bid for striker Aaron Collins.
The Bolton News understands the improved offer is worth around £750,000, which would make the Welshman the most expensive signing in 11 years at the club.
Collins withdrew from Rovers’ squad to face Oxford United at the weekend following Bolton’s first, unsuccessful bid, and is keen to join the Whites’ promotion push.
But speaking after his side bowed out of the Bristol Street Motors Trophy on penalties to Blackpool, Ian Evatt said he would be willing to move on to ‘Plan B or Plan C’ if his final offer for the reigning League One player of the year was not accepted this time.
“Sometimes it is easily said when you go ‘it’s our last bid’ but it really is,” he told The Bolton News.
“This is our last bid. They either accept it or they don’t.
“If they do, brilliant, if they don’t, we’ll move on.”
Wanderers may have to expand their search over the next two days to include a centre-half, with Ricardo Santos (calf) and Eoin Toal (Achillies) nursing injuries.
Both players will be checked on Wednesday to assess if they are fit enough to face Barnsley on Saturday. Santos was withdrawn at half time against Blackpool, with Toal completing 90 minutes.
But the outlook after the final whistle was uncertain, with Evatt down to just two options – Jack Iredale and Josh Dacres-Cogley.
Should Santos or Toal be ruled out for the weekend, Wanderers would be forced to move into the transfer market for cover.
“We’ll have to sign someone because we haven’t got anyone left,” the manager said.
“Me and Pete (Atherton) will be playing centre-back, and a lot deeper than we used to do. It is annoying, it is frustrating, but it is part of the game.
“I am hopeful rather than confident. They were still quite functional out there.
“We will have to see what happens overnight and hopefully have some good news from the scanner. The one we tend to go to has produced some rotten ones, so we are due some good news.”
Source