Bolton Wanderers will not offer any contracts to potential signings until after a takeover of the football club is completed, The Bolton News have reported.

The club, who will start the season on minus 12 points after entering administration at the end of last season, have yet to confirm its new owners, and they will not be making any moves to sign players until that deal has been completed.

It is thought a list of potential free-agent targets - including former Hibernian striker Anthony Stokes - had been drawn up by the club's administrators, but no offers will be made until the takeover of the club has been confirmed, with the Football Ventures group named as the preferred bidders to buy the club.

Former Blackburn winger Craig Conway and ex Preston midfielder Ben Pringle have also been training with the club recently, although the pair are not thought to be under consideration for contract offers at the present.

As a result, Bolton currently have just six senior players on their books heading into their return to League One next season, meaning a number of players from the teams Under 18 and Under 23 sides could be called in for the club's opening league game of the season away to Wycombe on August 3rd.

The Verdict

In a strange way, this may be a sensible move by those overseeing activity at the club right now.

While this will not help Bolton's prospects on the pitch next season, it may be better in terms of the club's long term future to avoid making moves for players right now.

Those who are interested in buying the club will almost certainly have their own ideas as to the approach they want to take with the club when they takeover, and there is no point risking putting them off by indirectly impacting their plans by making signings the prospective new owners may not want before the takeover is complete.

It would, therefore, make sense to allow those who do eventually takeover to make recruitment decisions of their own. Although with the season drawing ever closer, it could really do with that being sooner rather than later.