Bolton Wanderers: Response to Dion Charles exit clear given Ian Evatt comments | OneFootball

Dion Charles has left Bolton Wanderers for Huddersfield Town and the need for a replacement, as well as other signings, is desperate for the Trotters.

Earlier this week, Bolton Wanderers sanctioned the sale of key striker and Northern Ireland international Dion Charles to automatic promotion chasers Huddersfield Town, whose interest this month was first revealed by Football League World.

Confirming the move in the aftermath of Bolton’s 1-0 defeat of Lincoln City at Sincil Bank in the Round of 16 of the EFL Trophy on Tuesday evening, Ian Evatt confirmed that Bolton now have "scope for more" as they seek to replace the 29-year-old in the January transfer window.

With one new face expected this week and that expected to be the loan signing of Terry Taylor from fellow mid-table outfit Charlton Athletic, Evatt, as always, has said he expects Bolton to be busy until the end of the transfer window when other players become available.

The sale of Charles to Michael Duff’s Terriers is believed to have been in the region of £750,000 with potential add-ons on top. Wanderers now have just over a fortnight to find an adequate and suitable replacement for the first player to reach 50 goals for the club since Kevin Nolan, the first to score 20+ in a season since Michael Ricketts, and the first to score 20+ goals in successive seasons since John McGinlay.

Avoiding a Dapo Afolayan situation

In the January transfer window of 2023, with Wanderers positioned well to potentially challenge for a top-two finish and automatic promotion, they sold Dapo Afolayan to St Pauli for a fee believed to be £500,000.

Afolayan, now a regular in the Bundesliga for the Hamburg-based club, was not adequately replaced in that window and Wanderers have been searching for the maverick, creative ilk of player ever since.

In fact, Bolton have since over-corrected with their current squad now consisting of just one solitary out-and-out striker, Victor Adeboyejo, as well as as many as six attacking midfielders.

Six months after the departure of Afolayan, Carlos Mendes Gomes was brought in for around £300,000 from Luton Town before Aaron Collins joined for a reported fee of £750,000 from Bristol Rovers this time last year. In the summer of 2024, John McAtee and Klaidi Lolos both arrived for undisclosed fees from Barnsley and Crawley Town respectively as well as 35-year-old former Canada international Scott Arfield on a free transfer.

Evatt says there is "scope for more" and he has also suggested he wants to refresh the whole squad, and whilst that is vital, especially in defensive positions, the clear priority has to be finding a striker.

Despite that, Wanderers are expected to bring in central midfielder Taylor, as mentioned, and have been heavily linked with Stromsgodset attacking midfielder Jonas Therkelsen with their interest confirmed by Evatt last week.

Failure to adequately replace Charles, much like Afolayan two years ago, could well lead to yet another setback for Wanderers and another 18 months of spending well over what they recouped for Charles on an array of underwhelming additions – if history is to repeat itself.

Search for Bolton striker could go abroad

Bolton, with the help of partner Ludonautics, could expand their search for Charles overseas as they seek value and that has proved fruitful this season with the arrival of left wing-back Szabolcs Schon from Fehervar in the summer and their links to the aforementioned Therkelsen, who has played in both an attacking midfield role and as a second striker in a similar formation for Stromsgodset in the Norwegian Eliteserien.

As well as the arrival of Therkelsen, though, Bolton will surely be looking to add an out-and-out number nine with several players of note that could and should interest the Trotters.

The standout name should they look within the EFL would be Stoke City forward Nathan Lowe. Lowe notched 15 goals in the first half of the season for runaway League Two leaders Walsall before Stoke, now under the management of Mark Robins, recalled him. The Potters have already rejected loan offers from League One rivals Huddersfield and Rotherham, however.

There are options, too, in the third tier. Kyle Joseph of Blackpool could be on the move amid interest from Hull City while Charlie Kelman is impressing on loan at Leyton Orient from Queens Park Rangers, then there is Will Evans at Mansfield Town as well as Reading centre-forward Sam Smith.

Whatever does indeed happen in the next couple of weeks, Bolton cannot waste this window with saving this season a priority but also being in a good position for the summer should they indeed remain in League One.

Defensive signings are required, a midfielder seems to be a ‘pending arrival’ and another couple of attackers could well be on their way so it is expected to be very busy at the Toughsheet Community Stadium.