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Max Conway’s future lies with Bolton Wanderers – even if his short-term goal is a loan away from the club.
That’s the verdict from Ian Evatt, who says he has had a flood of interest from League One and Two in the young wing-back over the last few weeks.
Wanderers have used homegrown defender Conway extensively during pre-season as they waited to sign Hungary international Szabolcs Schön, and the Bolton boss has been delighted with the way the 20-year-old has responded to the challenge.
Likewise, midfielder Nelson Khumbeni has also impressed in his time with the senior set-up, and Wanderers are looking to get him fixed up with a deal that can progress his development.
Asked about outgoing transfers, Evatt said the two youngsters had been subject to plenty of interest.
“There is nothing at the moment,” he said. “Certainly nothing that will be happening right away.
“We have had a lot of phone calls about Max and Nelson in particular, some from League One, and we need to make the right decision for their development.
“Max has done incredibly well during pre-season. We have really needed him to and he has stood up to the challenge. He has got a really good future here but it is important that he gets a full season under his belt somewhere because it will mature him.”
Conway has been lauded as one of Bolton’s brightest homegrown talents for a few years now but has not been able to break into the senior set-up, spending time out on loan with the likes of AFC Fylde and Rochdale last season.
Evatt insists, however, that another loan this season does not mean he will be ‘out of sight, out of mind’ and believes he can have a long-term future with the Whites.
“We are not to get him out of the way, we are doing it to develop him,” he said of a prospective loan move.
“Whatever department that might be in – psychologically, physically, technically, it will help him and bring him on for our team because we think he has got a future here, with Bolton.”
Wanderers are looking to sign up to four new players by the end of the month, which Evatt admits could cause some displacement in the team.
There has been no indication of players looking to move on since Jon Dadi Bodvarsson and Cameron Jerome were released at the end of last season, but that could change if Bolton are successful in their transfer plans.
“As is the way in football when you get players in and people are not getting regular minutes, then they start to get itchy feet. Perhaps we can look at that then?” Evatt said.
“We just have to be fluid, to be honest, and then see what happens with the players coming in."
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