Bolton Wanderers must ‘move the needle’ with January signings, says Ian Evatt

According to Ian Evatt, Bolton Wanderers know they need to “move the needle” with their additions as they enter the pivotal January transfer window.

It is believed that money is being made available for the manager to bolster his team this month, despite the fact that the first half of the season has not gone as planned.

Evatt, who this week received the board’s public support, is aware that advancement is his ultimate goal and that the flexible form exhibited over the past few months needs to develop.

Instead of focusing on individuals who need to be introduced gradually, Wanderers will be looking for players who can have an instant impact.

He told The Bolton News, “At this point, we are fairly clear on what is going to happen, but things can change.”

“We regularly hold meetings with clubs and agencies to discuss ways to bolster the team, as well as recruitment discussions.

Is there going to be huge change? No, but whatever we do in this window has to move the needle.

“It has to make the team better, we are clear on that. It is not about deepening the squad, it is about making the starting XI better.

“That is where our focus is, to make sure the ones we bring in – one, two, three maybe – it makes the XI stronger than what it is at the moment.”

Bolton has the option to call back Aaron Morley from his loan at Wycombe, making his future one of the major uncertainties to be resolved in January.

The Toughsheet suggests that Matt Bloomfield’s team will need to pay a hefty amount to keep him, despite the surprise league leaders, who met the Whites at Adams Park last night, seeking to keep him for the second half of the season.

Morley, picked up for £75,000 from Rochdale in January 2022, has been in fine form for the Buckinghamshire club but cannot play elsewhere as he also played an hour for Bolton against Mansfield in the League Cup in August.

Evatt was giving little away at his press conference this week but is prepared to bring Morley back into the camp.

“I have made up my mind,” he said. “I will obviously not share that here but we know what we want to do and our options.”

As things stand, Wanderers do not expect to lose any of their first teamers next month, with Evatt insisting his phone has been quiet.

“Normally within football those conversations have already started,” he said. “It is very rare that something will just happen off the cuff and you have only just heard about it.

“Normally you will get whispers or agents phoning me about ‘what price are you thinking’ or ‘what’s the cost of this and that?’ We have had none of that so far.

“I’d be shocked if something appeared out of nowhere.

“Yes, at this point, I would be fairly confident that we are not going to lose anyone crucial to us, but there are still two weeks until January, and anything can happen at any time.”