Bolton Wanderers will be hoping to strike gold with some of their signings this summer as they look to give themselves the best chance of getting back to the Championship.

They have moved already to bring in three signings, with Jack Iredale arriving on the expiration of his contract at league rivals Cambridge United and James Trafford and Conor Bradley arriving on loan.

Shot-stopper Trafford proved to be a real asset for Ian Evatt's side last season and they will be delighted to have him back at the club, especially with the goalkeeping department being one area they desperately needed to improve.

There are some additions this summer that may not work out though, though they will be hoping to maximise the number of hits and minimise the misses in their quest to improve.

With this in mind, we take a look at eight of the club's more underwhelming signings in recent years.

Previously plying his trade in Manchester United's youth system, he looked to be an exciting signing for the Trotters when he arrived at the University of Bolton Stadium.

He may not have been able to make the impact he would have wanted to at Hull City - but in Greater Manchester - he would have been backed to thrive and fulfil his potential at a side where he would be offered many first-team opportunities.

Unfortunately, he made just 12 appearances for the current third-tier side and had his contract terminated in January 2020 and that was his last spell in England to this point, since going on to play for Pohronie and MTK Budapest.

At 26, he still has plenty of time to return to England and shine in the EFL if he can remain fit and keep playing regular football.

Joining on a season-long loan deal last year, 21-year-old Amaechi's time at the club was dominated by injury problems so this is why it isn't exactly his fault that he has appeared on this list.

However, there was a considerable amount of excitement surrounding his arrival, especially after seeing him shine in Arsenal's youth system as he managed to make an impression at the Emirates despite failing to make a single first-team appearance for the Gunners.

But during his spell under Evatt, he recorded just one goal and one assist in 12 league appearances, failing to make the impact many would have been expecting to.

He has since returned to Hamburg, where he could potentially be in with a chance of playing in the second tier of German football next term following their failure to win promotion back to the Bundesliga.

Previously looking like a world-beater at Peterborough United, Maddison arrived at the club in January 2021 hoping to revive his career in Greater Manchester.

However, he failed to score in 10 appearances for Evatt's men and was outshone by Dapo Afolayan who made a real impression during the second half of the 2021/22 campaign.

Returning to then-parent club Charlton Athletic early, he then revealed he was considering quitting football altogether and went on to sign for non-league outfit Spalding United.

He suffered a serious knee injury last term - but after struggling with mental health problems - his happiness is a top priority at this stage over everything else. It would be brilliant to see him back to how he was at the Weston Homes Stadium one day though.

Perhaps this is harsh considering he had to make the step up to League One - but he was tipped by some to adapt to life at Bolton seamlessly after linking up with former boss Evatt.

Despite this, he has failed to nail down a starting spot and was replaced between the sticks by Manchester City loanee Trafford who was one of the first names on the teamsheet during the 2021/22 campaign.

With the City youngster linking up with the third-tier side once more, it wouldn't be a surprise to see the 28-year-old move on this summer if another stopper arrives.

Previously shining at Barrow, it will be hugely disappointing for the keeper that he hasn't been able to make more of an impression at his current side.

Considering his lack of experience in the EFL prior to his arrival at Bolton, it's perhaps no real surprise that Crellin failed to impress when he was with the Trotters.

Arriving from Fleetwood Town on loan in the summer of 2020, he made just 16 appearances and kept just two clean sheets in the process, failing to keep his starting spot as his last appearance came in the November of that year.

And during the second half of the season, he was even left out of the matchday squad as he found himself behind Matt Gilks and Lukas Jensen in the pecking order.

Despite this poor spell and failing to assert himself as a regular first-teamer at Fleetwood, he moved to Premier League side Everton in January this year and could potentially prove to be a decent asset at Goodison Park.

Arriving temporarily from Blackburn Rovers in 2020, White didn't manage to impress during his short stay in Greater Manchester, appearing just 14 times in all competitions despite joining on a season-long loan deal.

His spell was cut short in February the following year and went on to sign for then-National League outfit Hartlepool United for the remainder of the 2020/21 campaign before being released by Rovers.

The midfielder has since returned to Barrow, securing 36 competitive appearances under his belt during 2021/22 and may be a first-team regular again next season having signed a new deal at the club in February to keep him there until the summer of 2024.

At 25, he still has plenty of time to improve further.

After shining for Charlton, Magennis was recruited in the summer of 2018 and tasked with being one of the Trotters' top scorers during the 2018/19 campaign and beyond.

However, he scored just three times in 42 league appearances as he struggled to make the step up to the second tier and was unable to improve on that record as he spent just one season at the University of Bolton Stadium before joining Hull.

He may have endured an underwhelming first season in East Yorkshire, but his 18 goals during 2020/21 played a crucial part in guiding the Tigers back to the Championship, then starting regularly under Grant McCann during the first half of 2021/22.

The Northern Irishman didn't spend the whole of the last campaign at Hull though, moving on to Wigan Athletic in January, though he will be competing in the second tier again next season following the Latics' promotion.

Considering his pedigree, Donaldson endured a very disappointing spell at the club and that was probably the main reason why he only stayed at the club for one season like Magennis did.

He scored just twice in 34 competitive appearances, recording one assist in the process and failing to impress in the second tier despite previously shining at Birmingham City.

And the experienced forward has slipped down the English footballing pyramid since, plying his trade in League Two with Bradford City for two seasons before joining National League outfit York City last year.

Unfortunately for him, they failed to get themselves back to League Two despite managing to reach the play-offs.