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Wanderers are keen to make Paris Maghoma’s move from Brentford permanent this summer.
Ian Evatt believes the on-loan midfielder would be open to staying with Bolton, having made huge strides and become a fan-favourite in his time with the club so far.
Maghoma has scored nine goals and is finishing the season strongly, starting the last eight league games.
The 22-year-old has 12 months left on his current deal in the Premier League but the Wanderers boss feels the bonds he has created in the North West could be enough to convince him to do a deal in the summer.
“I’d absolutely love to work with Paris again,” Evatt told The Bolton News. “He knows how I feel about him and if you asked him he’d tell you how he enjoys working with us too. He’s a fantastic player and I genuinely feel like he has found a home here.
“There’s a lot that needs to happen before those conversations take place but there is a definite willingness from both sides that this could be a long-term relationship.”
Former Tottenham youth product Maghoma had loan spells with AFC Wimbledon and MK Dons before coming to Bolton in the summer and got off to a fairly slow start after picking up a thigh injury in September.
But after announcing himself on the scene with a crucial goal in the 4-2 away win at Wycombe, the Londoner has steadily improved his all-round game to become an important part of Evatt’s midfield.
“Paris is a player who I have really enjoyed working with, he’s an extremely talented boy,” he said. “He is a character, no two ways about that, but I find all the talented ones tend to be like that.
“Me and him have developed a close working relationship, off the field as well as on it, and I think the connection we have had along with the one with his team-mates has helped him settle.
“He is getting to grips with what I want from a number eight. Him and George together, aided by Kyle Dempsey and Aaron Morley, Josh Sheehan can play as an eight too, the positional discipline is really coming to the fore now.
“When you add all that to the X factor side of his game – the ability to drive past opponents, to see passes in the final third. We wanted to increase his productivity, we discussed it at length early on this season, and now he is getting goals and assists on a regular basis.
“He is blossoming, and we’d love him to stay. Paris would love to stay, we have already had those discussions, but for now he just has to continue for the standard he has set himself.”
Evatt has also confirmed that Maghoma, plus other loanees like Nat Ogbeta, Caleb Taylor, Zac Ashworth and Calvin Ramsay will be available should the season be extended into the play-offs in May.
“Richard Cooper (club secretary) is excellent at his job and always makes sure that all bases are covered,” he said. “As far as I’m aware all bases are covered on that front. You’d have to prise him off me at the moment, anyway.”
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