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Wanderers remain locked into their transfer targets with offers on the table for at least three different players – but the wait to complete a deal goes on.
The impasse looks set to continue this week for Ian Evatt as he holds firm on his valuation for domestic signings, understood to include Luton Town’s John McAtee, and for the qualifying rounds of the Europa League and Conference League to be completed.
It is hoped that once qualification for the European competitions is decided, that at least one of the transfers will become a more straightforward matter to conclude. But with just 12 days to go before the Whites’ League One season kicks-off at Leyton Orient, the tense poker game is starting to make fans shift anxiously in their seats.
Stade Brestois attacker Karamoko Dembele remains on Bolton’s wish list, reports also linking a string of Championship clubs with the former Blackpool loanee. He has also been involved on the fringes of his squad’s friendly fixtures over the last few weeks but is thought to be available on a permanent deal this summer.
But The Bolton News understands a seven-figure bid made for Peterborough United’s Joel Randall earlier this month has been turned down and that negotiations on that front have been ended.
McAtee was not named in the Luton squad for Friday night’s friendly against Dundee but the Championship club look set to delay any decision on letting him leave until they have completed their friendly fixtures with a game against Spanish side Celta Vigo on Saturday.
Evatt is keen to get new signings through the door but has had his attacking options improved with the return of Dion Charles to full training at the back end of last week.
The Wanderers boss could not put a timeline on when he expected to bring in more players but said he was comfortable playing the ‘long game’ knowing that he will get value for money.
“It has been hard work,” he told The Bolton News. “The window in general has been slow.
“Obviously there has been some business happening but a lot of it has been free transfers and out of contract players, but we are dining at a different table now, I think that is clear.
“We can’t just rush into these things, we have to make sure we recruit the right ones, especially at the kind of money that we are talking about.
“I get frustrated sometimes but we have to understand that we need to get the right players in at the right price. We are working tirelessly to make sure that happens.”
Wanderers play their penultimate friendly of the summer tomorrow night against Championship side Stoke City and could add Northern Ireland internationals Charles and Luke Southwood to the squad.
Aaron Collins could miss the game with a bruised and gashed knee picked up in the 1-1 draw with Fiorentina on Friday night but Ricardo Santos, who appeared to suffer an injury late in the game, is not thought to be a doubt.
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