Bolton Wanderers’ chairman Ken Anderson has blamed the rise in market prices as the reason for the deadline day disappointment at the Macron Stadium.
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In an open letter to the club’s supporters, Anderson lamented the ‘disappointing’ business having missed out on their top two transfer targets for the summer.
Garner made a late move to local rivals Wigan Athletic, leaving Bolton grasping at thin air as their deadline day became a disaster.
The Bolton News reported that two bids for the striker, both six-figure offers, were rejected before they were priced out in a bidding war by Paul Cook’s Latics.
Phil Parkinson was aiming to bring a forward in, but the Trotters’ chairman has now explained to Wanderers’ official site that will be focussing all their efforts for the next three weeks in trying to recruit via the loan window.
Chuks Aneke is a proposed target for the Championship side, and Wanderers could be in for the striker with a view to a permanent deal come January.
Bolton have four more loan spaces free with the limit on domestic loans being five per club, and they have three weeks left to bolster their side until the transfer window reopens on January 1.
The club need to operate on a sound financial footing after the players went on strike over the summer due to the non-payment of wages and bonuses.
The Verdict
Bolton are shrewd for staying within their financial limits, but they should cut their cloth accordingly.
They might have lost out on two big targets this summer but is the risk worth the reward?
Wanderers have had financial issues all summer and have been unable to pay their wages on occasion during the off-season.
Spending hundreds of thousands on one player is not viable in their current climate. So loans and frees have been the order of the window and beyond.
Fans might be disappointed with not signing many players or splashing out significant fees, but if the club did that, then there won’t be a Bolton Wanderers to support.
It is going to be a difficult season for Phil Parkinson’s men so anything other than relegation should be seen as a bonus.