Ian Evatt could have Bolton Wanderers U-turn if transfer lands | OneFootball

Bolton Wanderers have been linked with Stromsgodset attacker Jonas Therkelsen and that could spark a change in system for the Trotters.

Selling your top scorer in the league to a promotion rival may not be the most obvious way to spark a potentially strong January transfer window but that is something Bolton Wanderers will be counting on and planning for in these final couple of weeks.

Earlier this week it was confirmed that Northern Ireland international Dion Charles had departed the Toughsheet Community Stadium to sign for Huddersfield Town for a fee believed to be in the region of £750,000.

Charles had fallen out of favour at the Whites and, at 29, whilst hurtful to Bolton fans and also happening at a time when many are calling for manager Ian Evatt to be sacked amid significant underperformance in League One this season, it probably does represent good value and a hefty profit on the £320,000 that they reportedly spent on Charles in the January transfer window of 2022 to sign him from Accrington Stanley.

Charles’ departure leaves a massive hole in sheer goal scoring for the Trotters but there will be a belief that, as Evatt says, there is now "scope for more" as they seek to potentially freshen up and re-jig their squad ahead of the run-in.

Links with Stromsgodset attacking midfielder Jonas Therkelsen would be the next domino to potentially fall in Evatt getting his way of re-establishing a new style and system as Bolton seek another assault on the top six and the playoff places.

Jonas Therkelsen interest and could lead to formation U-turn at Bolton

Evatt confirmed last week that Bolton hold an interest in Norway under-21 international Jonas Therkelsen, who has enjoyed a positive year or so playing for Eliteserien side Stromsgodset.

Therkelsen, coming through the ranks as an attacking midfielder, has often played as the second striker in a 3-4-1-2 system for the Norwegian side and that flexibility and profile may well be the key selling point for Evatt and Bolton’s interest.

Bolton switched from a flat 3-5-2 system to a 3-4-2-1 over the summer with Evatt citing the need for Bolton to bring in tactical options to try and evolve after missing out on automatic promotion on the final day of last season and then in the play-off final against Oxford United.

If Therkelsen was to arrive then he would become the seventh attacking midfielder in the Bolton squad alongside Scott Arfield, Aaron Collins, Klaidi Lolos, John McAtee, Carlos Mendes Gomes and new signing Joel Randall, who arrived from Peterborough United earlier this month. Bolton have just one out-and-out striker, Victor Adeboyejo.

That imbalance may initially appear like poor planning but, as mentioned, Therkelsen’s ability to play in a front two may mean Wanderers plan to switch back to a two-up-front system – which is something that may actually suit the rest of the squad, too.

Both Collins and McAtee have often looked lost and position-less with Bolton disjointed in attack as they fail to adapt to a 3-4-2-1 with neither being wingers or natural number tens but both more suited to a second striker role, whilst the aforementioned Randall would also appear ideal to slot into the lone number ten behind two forwards.

The flexibility brought about by Therkelsen’s arrival would not necessarily have been possible if Charles had remained.

Looking to the past for inspiration under Ian Evatt

Bolton have significantly underperformed this season with automatic promotion being the objective at the start of the campaign but they currently languish in the middle of the table and are perhaps fortunate to be as high as just tucked inside the top half.

However, in January 2021, in his first season, Evatt led Bolton side legitimately involved in a League Two relegation battle before an excellent transfer window saw them go on an excellent run of form of 50 points from their final 22 games, and finish third, securing automatic promotion.

A year later, with Bolton meandering towards the bottom four and the relegation places in the third tier, another ambitious and busy January window saw them turn things around to eventually finish ninth by collecting 47 points from their final 22 games of the season.

Both of those seasons involved a switch in system after their busy January transfer window and Wanderers will hope history repeats itself as they gear up for another busy couple of weeks that could once again see a tactical shift triggered by the signing of Therkelsen and then a hectic end to the winter market.