Bolton Wanderers should capitalise on Peterborough United factor with January signing | OneFootball

Bolton remain in promotion contention and the lack of form of a former rival Peterborough should mean they return to former target Joel Randall.

Bolton Wanderers, somehow, remain in contention for the play-off positions in League One and will still fancy their chances of a near perfect run in the second-half of the campaign, like they did in their League Two automatic promotion winning campaign of 2020/21, to push towards the top two.

In order to achieve that, the Trotters will need reinforcements during the January transfer window and that is something that Ian Evatt has already discussed with The Bolton News, suggesting the Whites are expecting to be busy.

Unlike Bolton, another top-six team from the last two seasons, Peterborough United, have found themselves struggling in the bottom-half of the third-tier and their hopes of a promotion charge do appear to be fading by the week.

One player Wanderers may well target could be Posh midfielder Joel Randall, who was the subject of reported interest from Bolton, who are said to have made a couple of bids for the former Exeter City man before Posh owner and chairman Darragh MacAnthony confirmed he would be staying.

Given that Peterborough are known as a selling club and are now in a position where rebuilding for the 2025/26 campaign may be more prescient in this window, it could be a perfect chance for Bolton to pounce.

The Randall to Bolton saga

In the summer, Randall was one of a number of names that Bolton targeted, with Evatt confirming a couple of seven-figure bids went in for players, but no seven-figure arrival came.

Alongside Randall, the likes of Kilmarnock winger Danny Armstrong, eventual Queens Park Rangers signing Karamoko Dembélé and Celtic arrival Luke McCowan were all linked, but Wanderers failed to bring any of that quartet in.

They did bring in John McAtee for an undisclosed fee from Barnsley, as well as Szabolcs Schon from Fehervar, but Wanderers’ ‘big money’ business was limited to those two additions, with an out-and-out ‘number ten’ eluding Director of Football Chris Markham and his recruitment team.

McAtee would perhaps fall into that category on paper, but he has thrived more in a front two as a striker rather than an attacking midfielder and has yet to nail down his best position throughout his career, let alone at the Toughsheet Community Stadium.

Bolton’s need for creativity

Despite attacking riches on paper with the likes of Victor Adeboyejo, Scott Arfield, Dion Charles, Aaron Collins, Klaidi Lolos, John McAtee and Carlos Mendes Gomes all capable of playing naturally in a front three, Wanderers have lacked fluency in the final third.

Nine teams have scored more than Bolton in League One this season and there does appear to be a disjointed element to the way in which they attack with their best performances coming in almost desperate, ‘throw the kitchen sink’ circumstances when the stifled possession-based approach of Evatt is unnecessary – if it is ever necessary.

A ‘link’ man is crucial for Wanderers and Randall would provide just that, as he has done for Peterborough in the last few seasons and even this with Posh the second top scorers in the division, despite sitting in the bottom-half of the table.

Sharon Brittain has backed Evatt in a club statement this week with promotion still at the forefront of their ambitions, but that ambition has to be matched in the market – rather than the bluster of Evatt’s usual interviews when it comes to discussing the transfer window.

Peterborough will be reluctant to sell cheaply, as per, but their lack of form this season leaves them seven points adrift of the top six and 18 behind the top two, so a potential rebuild could be in their mind.

If that is the case, then Bolton have to be ruthless and, if, as seems was the case just a few months ago, Randall has been identified as the man to be the missing piece in a ragged jigsaw, then pouncing upon a weakened rival this winter has to be a priority.