For the first time in two years, the Trotters failed to qualify for a League One play-off spot after a poor 24/25 season.
However, Wanderers have been highly active in the transfer market this summer as Steven Schumacher gets ready to guide his team into his first full season as manager at the Tougsheet Community Stadium.
Bolton has, in fact, added eight new players, and it now looks like they are going to grab their ninth from a League One competitor.
Bolton Wanderers hijack Wigan Athletic’s deal for Lincoln City star Ethan Erhahon
It was reported this week by journalist Ben Jacobs that Lincoln City had received offers for their star midfielder Ethan Erhahon from both Swansea City and Wigan Athletic.
Jacobs also claimed that Bolton Wanderers and Oxford United had also enquired about his availability this summer, with the Imps understood to be prepared to sell the 24-year-old for what is expected to be a club-record fee.
However, Football League World has today received information that has turned this transfer saga on its head.
FLW has exclusively been informed that Bolton Wanderers have indeed hijacked Wigan Athletic’s deal for Erhahon, and that he is now heading for a different part of Greater Manchester.
We’ve learnt that Erhahon had travelled to Wigan for talks on Thursday, but Wanderers made a late move for the Scotsman, where he has today been conducting his medical with the Trotters.
Bolton to land major transfer blow to their bitter rivals
This one is going to sting for everyone connected with Wigan Athletic.
Seeing a player, and a very good one at that in Erhahon, perform a last-minute transfer U-turn to your bitter rivals when you’ve had him in the building; that’s one that will hurt for some time.
Bolton won’t care one bit though, as having already signed Xavier Simons from Hull City, what was already a strong midfield group for Schumacher to work with is about to be significantly bolstered even further.
To bolster Ryan Lowe’s midfield options, Wigan has at least been able to sign Callum Wright from Plymouth Argyle on a season-long loan deal. However, with Scott Smith, who has made 69 league appearances for the Latics over the last two seasons, leaving for Barrow, adding another defensive midfield player appears to be a top transfer priority this summer.
It will therefore be difficult for them to move on from the experience of seemingly coming very close to acquiring a quality one at League One level in Erhahon, only to have him taken away in the way that has occurred to them. However, they must move on.
