A Retrospective Analysis of Bolton Wanderers’ Premier Summer Acquisitions Over the Past Two Decades

The transfer window is now open, but Wanderers’ relatively subdued start to their summer recruitment has some supporters feeling uneasy.

Bolton’s pre-season preparations have been delayed due to their participation in the play-offs, and with the Euros capturing national media attention, focus has shifted away from transfer gossip to the tournament in Germany.

As of now, there have been 41 confirmed transfers in League One, with Bolton being one of 16 teams to announce at least one new signing. Eight teams have yet to make any acquisitions.

Rotherham United has been the most active, signing eight new players following their relegation from the Championship and the appointment of Steve Evans as their new manager.

Defender Chris Forino became Bolton’s first new addition, joining from Wycombe on a three-year deal. Whether the 24-year-old will be the first of many new signings remains to be seen, but we’ve taken a look back at the first signings of the past 20 summers to see if they signaled success or failure for Wanderers.

**2004:** Sam Allardyce aimed to elevate Bolton with significant spending, eyeing David Unsworth, Dado Prso, and Muzzy Izzet. However, the summer kicked off with the less glamorous signing of ex-Sunderland striker Michael Bridges, who failed to make a first-team appearance.

**2005:** High-profile names like Olivier Dacourt, Laurent Robert, and Luis Figo were linked with Bolton, but the first official signing was El-Hadji Diouf from Liverpool for a club-record £4m.

**2006:** A turbulent summer saw Israel international Idan Tal as the first signing, a move that led to a major inquiry and little impact from Tal in his 20 appearances.

**2007:** After Allardyce’s departure, new manager Sammy Lee inherited deals for Blerim Dzemaili, Jlloyd Samuel, Gavin McCann, and Gerald Cid.

**2008:** Gary Megson aimed to avoid relegation battles by spending big, starting with Fabrice Muamba for £5m and a club-record £8.2m for Johan Elmander.

**2009:** Megson signed Sean Davis on a free transfer, but a knee injury early in his Bolton career hindered his impact.

**2010:** Owen Coyle secured Bulgaria international Martin Petrov from Manchester City on a free transfer, along with Robbie Blake.

**2011:** Darren Pratley from Swansea City was Coyle’s first summer signing, followed by attempts to sign Rodrigo Moreno and Thiago Alcantara.

**2012:** Following relegation, Keith Andrews from West Brom was the first addition, with interest in Carlos Sanchez.

**2013:** Dougie Freedman reduced the wage bill by signing younger players like Marc Tierney, Hayden White, and Connor Wilkinson.

**2014:** Freedman continued with free transfers, signing Neil Danns, Liam Feeney, Liam Trotter, and briefly, Andy Robinson.

**2015:** Neil Lennon made statements with the signings of Ben Amos and Gary Madine, after failed talks with Adam Bogdan.

**2016:** Phil Parkinson’s first signing was Chris Taylor, who played 23 games but had a contentious relationship with supporters.

**2017:** Promotion to the Championship saw Mark Little as the first official signing, alongside Andy Taylor, Will Buckley, and Adam Le Fondre.

**2018:** Post-Great Escape, Parkinson signed Jason Lowe, Clayton Donaldson, and Erhun Oztumer.

**2019:** In chaos, Bolton’s first permanent signing ratified by the EFL was James Weir, joined by loanee Josh Earl and young players.

**2020:** Ian Evatt’s era began with a squad rebuild, starting with Eoin Doyle from Swindon Town and Ali Crawford re-signing.

**2021:** Promoted from League Two, Evatt’s first signing was Dapo Afolayan from West Ham, who now looks forward to playing in the Bundesliga with St Pauli.

**2022:** Australian defender Jack Iredale was the first senior signing, with B Team additions including Nelson Khumbeni and Connor Carty.

**2023:** Dan Nlundulu’s permanent move from Southampton was confirmed, followed by Nathan Baxter from Chelsea as the first new addition.