Bolton Wanderers

Kasey Smith
Fan writer

Image source, Shutterstock

After a seven-year wait, Bolton are back in the Championship.

It has been a long old slog to get back here, and while there is plenty of optimism in the air under boss Steven Schumacher, Wanderers will have to pull their finger out to avoid their return to the second tier being a brief one.

Without wanting to be too negative before Saturday's opener against Preston North End, the reality is that Bolton are starting the season weaker than they finished the last.

Amario Cozier-Dubery has gone back to Brighton for obvious reasons, while Mason Burstow, Ibrahim Cissoko, Marcus Forss, Jonny Kenny and Corey Blackett-Taylor have also departed and haven't been replaced. Yet.

That has been the overwhelming theme of pre-season - Bolton need attacking reinforcements.

If there was any doubt over that, the cup defeat by Sheffield Wednesday made it blindingly obvious to any casual observer.

We controlled large parts of the game and looked bright early on, with new signing Gaizka Larrazabal looking dangerous on the wing.

Schumacher's men created chances, but once again struggled to turn that pressure into goals. In the end, there was just one shot on target.

That lack of cutting edge is nothing new. Last season, we broke a club record for the most draws in a season, with too many chances spurned in games.

The decision to allow players such as Forss, Burstow and Blackett-Taylor to leave surely means there are several irons in the fire, and there has to be trust in the process, given how successful it has been to this point.

It may take some getting used to for Bolton's expectant fan base, but we are no longer one of the division's big dogs.

The money sloshing around at the top of the Championship is eye-watering compared to what Bolton can offer.

Fortunately, Schumacher is no stranger to working under tight financial constraints – and, more importantly, working well under them.

The Bolton boss said there were more positives than negatives to take from Hillsborough and had Xavier Simons not seen red on the hour mark following an uncharacteristic lash out, we may well have been in the next round.

It was the second successive season in which Wanderers suffered an early cup defeat to Wednesday - and we all know how the last campaign unfolded.

This latest setback, then, should hardly define the year ahead. But it should serve as a warning.

We've waited a long time to get back to the Championship, and the club now needs to get a wiggle on if they are to stay there.

Bolton Wanderers defender Chris Forino said the club must "relish" the opportunity to play in the Championship this season after working so hard to win promotion from League One.

The 26-year-old was a key figure in the Trotters' defence in the 2025-26 campaign and has had the "honour" of wearing the armband during pre-season in the absence of injured club captain Eoin Toal.

"It's an exciting time for this football club. We all set out last season to be here, we're now here and we need to relish that," Forino told BBC Radio Manchester.

Forino said it "certainly" feels like Bolton are back where they belong, competing in the second tier after a seven-year absence.

"Going back further, everyone knows Bolton is a very historic club that has had so many great days in recent history before that," he said.

"For a fan at the moment it must be good to see us back on the rise. I've always associated Bolton with being a Premier League club.

"That was the era I grew up in. And to play a tiny, tiny part in its history of getting them back to the Championship, it's a great privilege."

Bolton visit Sheffield Wednesday in the League Cup for their first competitive game of the season on Saturday (15:00 BST) and Forino believes it will be a good test to prepare for the Championship opener against Preston the following weekend.

"I've never started with a Carabao Cup game before a league game. But it's good because we've got a very good side in Sheffield Wednesday to play against," Forino added.

"They'll be right up there, in my opinion, in League One next season. So it'll be really good game of football in a really tough away ground. So I'm looking forward to it."

Listen to Chris Forino's full interview above or on BBC sounds here - and don't forget to subscribe to get each episode into your My Sounds feed.

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Bolton Wanderers have had an initial £1m bid for English striker Max Dean, 22, rejected by Belgian club Gent. (Football Insider), external

For more EFL transfer news and rumours, read Friday's full gossip column here.

Don't forget to tap the 'follow' button at the top of this page to stay up to date with your club's latest news.

Bolton Wanderers boss Steven Schumacher has been answering questions put to him by supporters on BBC Radio Manchester.

The 42-year-old was asked about the level of investment in the squad, what to expect from the team in the Championship this season, and which positions in the squad still need to be addressed.

Schumacher also discusses what his idea of a strong season would be for the club.

"Most importantly, like I've said to everybody and try and stress to the players, we want to make sure that we give a good account of ourselves," he said.

"We've worked incredibly hard to get to this point, so we want to go and be positive. It doesn't really matter about budgets and finances.

"If we all stick together and use that momentum, invest wisely, recruit wisely, then I think we'll have a decent chance to hopefully surprise one or two."

Listen to Schumacher's Q&A above or on BBC Sounds here - and do not forget to subscribe to get each episode into your My Sounds feed.

Explore more Bolton Wanderers content on BBC Sounds

Bolton Wanderers and Sheffield United are eyeing a potential deal for goalkeeper Asmir Begovic. The 39-year-old is a free agent after leaving Leicester City at the end of last season. (Darren Whitcoop), external

Meanwhile Sheffield United have made an offer for Fiorentina defender Nicolas Valentini. The Argentinian, 24, is also a target for Spanish club Alaves. (German Garcia Gova), external

There is more of Monday's EFL gossip here.

Bolton Wanderers head coach Steven Schumacher says the club still need to sign at least another five players before the end of the summer transfer window.

The Trotters won promotion back to the Championship for the first time in seven years last season and are now trying to build a squad to stay in the division.

Winger Kyliane Dong, full-back Luca Stephenson, midfielder David Watson and defenders Akin Famewo, Ben Davies and Gaizka Larrazabal have all been added to the ranks so far.

But Schumacher has once again reiterated his desire for further reinforcements.

"There's still loads more to come, I still feel as though we need a lot of players in a lot of positions," Schumacher told BBC Radio Manchester after a 0-0 draw with Premier League side Everton in a pre-season friendly on Saturday.

"We're still working really hard behind the scenes because we know that to get into the Championship and to compete week in, week out, we need more firepower.

"We need strength and depth in every position because physically it's demanding and you're going to pick up injuries.

"And if the squad isn't prepared for it, then you'll get found out, which we obviously don't want to happen."

The 42-year-old said it is "difficult to get players everybody knows about" because Bolton "cannot compete financially" with other Championship clubs.

"That's going to be the challenge that we then have to look further afield or be creative with some of the deals, maybe with loan deals," he added.

"But it's a challenge financially. That's why things are not moving as quickly as we would have liked.

"We have to be patient, keep trying to get people in the door as quickly as possible because the earlier we get them, the more time we get to work with them before the season starts, which is obviously a bit more beneficial."

Bolton Wanderers, Millwall, Wrexham and Middlesbrough are all interested in taking Ipswich Town's new Dutch goalkeeper Kayne van Oevelen, 22, on loan. (Alan Nixon - subscription required), external

For more EFL transfer rumours, read Monday's full gossip column here.

Don't forget to tap the 'follow' button at the top of this page to stay up to date with your club's latest news.

Image source, Getty Images

Bolton Wanderers have announced a minority investment by Entrepreneur Equity Partners (EEP).

In a statement, EEP is described by the club as a "leading global investor in professional sports clubs and entertainment real estate".

Bolton chairman Sharon Brittan said the investment will help the club "solidify" its position in the Championship following promotion from League One last season.

"In EEP, we have found a partner who understands our town, our community and the way we do things, who shares our vision for the future and brings real, proven experience of successfully building clubs and bringing supporters closer to the team," Brittan told the club website., external

The club said EEP will have a particular focus on "fan engagement and enhancing the matchday experience".

Tim Leiweke, co-founder of EEP, will join Bolton's board of directors along with Brittan, Michael James and Nick Luckock, while fellow EEP co-founder Keegan McDonald will become a board observer.

Football Ventures remains the majority shareholder of the club and the day-to-day leadership will be unchanged, with Brittan and chief executive officer David Ray still in charge of operations.

"We were at Wembley to witness the club win promotion to the Championship and the support we saw from the fans that day told us everything we needed to know about Bolton Wanderers and this community," Leiweke said.

"We are here to honour that legacy and those supporters and take this club to the next level."

No Championship head coach will have his side where they want them to be at this stage of pre-season, according to Bolton Wanderers boss Steven Schumacher.

The Trotters are preparing for their return to the Championship after beating Stockport County in the League One play-off final in May.

They beat Oldham Athletic 3-1 in their second pre-season friendly on Wednesday night having returned from a training camp in Slovakia last week.

"I don't think there's any team or manager standing here now saying they're exactly where they want to be," Schumacher told BBC Radio Manchester.

"We're still a long way physically from where we need to get to, tactically we still need to work on a few things. Defensively we've looked solid enough, really well organised and the attitude to defend has been really good."

Bolton have signed winger Kyliane Dong, full-back Luca Stephenson, midfielder David Watson and defenders Akin Famewo and Ben Davies, but Schumacher says they will need more new faces.

"Obviously we're a long way from where we need to be squad wise - we're a work in progress," he added.

"The new lads have settled into the group well and are enjoying what they're doing - there's still work to do with them on tactical elements of how we play which is naturally going to take time.

"The ones we bring in will have to get up to speed quickly as it's clear to see we need reinforcements in a lot of areas and we'll work hard to try to make that happen in the coming weeks."

Bolton open the new Championship season at home to Preston North End on Saturday, 15 August (12:30 BST).

Listen to more Bolton Wanderers interviews and content on BBC Sounds.

Blackburn Rovers, Bolton Wanderers, Leicester City and Major League Soccer (MLS) clubs are monitoring Greg Docherty as the 29-year-old Scottish midfielder awaits news on a contract offer from Charlton Athletic, where he has a year remaining of his current deal. (Daily Record), external

Blackburn Rovers have rejected several six-figure offers for Irish defender Connor O'Riordan but would be willing to part with the 22-year-old if their valuation is met. (Lancashire Telegraph - requires subscription), external

Leicester City and Rangers are showing an interest in 20-year-old striker Ryan One, but Sheffield United do not wish to sell this summer. (Sky Sports), external

Want more transfer news from the EFL? Take a look at Friday's gossip column here.

Celtic will listen to offers for striker Johnny Kenny this summer, with Millwall and Bolton Wanderers - where the 23-year-old Republic of Ireland international was on loan last season, scoring six goals in 14 appearances - both interested. (Football Insider, external)

Want more news from the EFL? Take a look at Thursday's gossip column here.

Bolton Wanderers still have recruitment work to do to make the squad strong enough to compete in the Championship, according to boss Steven Schumacher.

Bolton are preparing for a first second-tier campaign in seven years after winning the League One play-off final against Stockport in May with Schumacher hoping his own experiences of managing at that level will help them adjust.

"Having the experience helps because it was a bit of a surprise when I first went up with Plymouth Argyle and how physical, how quick, how competitive every game is," he told BBC Radio Manchester.

"We've set our sights on trying to make us a team who are dynamic and can go and compete at this level so we've got a bit of work to do from a recruitment point of view, but we also feel the lads in the squad from last year, a lot of them are capable of making the step up."

Bolton are intensifying their preparations this week with a pre-season training trip to Slovakia which will culminate with a game against local side DAC 1904 on Friday.

"I liked the venue we used in Marbella last year but it wasn't available for the date we wanted to go on," added Schumacher.

"Around February or March, this opportunity came about in Slovakia. Portsmouth went there last year and I asked their manager John Mousinho about it and he gave me the lowdown - it ticks the boxes with good facilities and will hopefully be a bit cooler than the south of Spain will be."

Bolton start the new Championship season at home to Preston North End on Saturday 15 August (12:30 BST).

Listen to more Bolton Wanderers interviews and content on BBC Sounds.

Image source, Shutterstock

Bolton Wanderers have appointed Rob Kelly as their assistant manager who will once again work alongside boss Steven Schumacher.

The highly-experienced Kelly, 61, worked with Schumacher at Bury and together they won promotion for the Shakers from League Two in 2019.

Kelly also had spells in charge of Leicester City and Barrow and was assistant to a number of managers, including Steve McClaren, Alan Irvine, Uwe Rosler and, most recently, Leam Richardson at Reading.

Schumacher claims he will bring great knowledge to his coaching set-up at Bolton, following their promotion to the Championship.

"Rob is somebody I've known and respected in coaching for a long time now and he has been a huge part of my coaching journey," he told the Bolton club website.

Bolton are keen on Canadian striker Theo Bair, 26, who plays for French club Auxerre. (FootballInsider, external)

Want more transfer news from the EFL? Take a look at Monday's gossip column here.

Bolton Wanderers are interested in taking Brighton goalkeeper James Beadle on loan. The 21-year-old Englishman spent last season on loan with Birmingham City in the Championship. (Pete O'Rourke), external

You can find more of Friday's EFL gossip here.

Bolton and Sheffield United have joined Portsmouth in the race to sign Plymouth Argyle striker Bim Pepple. The 23-year-old scored 18 goals in 41 appearances in all competitions for Argyle last season. (The News), external

You can find more of Tuesday's EFL gossip here.