Bolton's Transfer Window Wrap Up

This site, as well as every other Bolton fan, have been endlessly discussing the sorry state of the squad and how much Coyle needs to bring players in. Well, apparently he realised as we've made off with a total of 8 players this window.  Darren Pratley, Nigel Reo-Coker, Chris Eagles, Tyrone Mears, Tuncay Sanli, Dedryck Boyata, Gael Kakuta, and David N'Gog have all made their merry way to the Reebok (although poor Tyrone quickly injured himself). 

All in all, this was very good business. Through a cunning combination of loans and frees Bolton only parted with £7mil of our precious pounds, which is very important considering the size of our debt. The other positive is that, with the exception of Nigel Reo-Coker and Tuncay, they're all relatively young and ready to prove themselves. Bolton is the perfect platform to do that, just ask Jack Wilshere and Danny Sturridge.

A lot of these players shouldn't expect to stroll into the starting side, but knowing Bolton, injuries may provide them with opportunities, in some cases (ahem Chris Eagles) sooner rather than later. Boyata, along with the semi-unexpected stay of Cahill, adds some needed reassurance to the defense, David N'Gog creates some competition amongst the forwards, and hopefully Kakuta will give Petrov a run for his money on the left. The additions of Darren Pratley and Reo-Coker, along with the impending return of a certain Stu Holden, mean that Coyle is spoilt for choice in the midfield. 

We could have strengthened the squad more, we could have added more proven players, but we certainly could not have done it on such a tight budget. Bolton will never be able to splash out and make marquee signings (or when they do, it will be Elmander...), but Coyle has shown his transfer acumen this window, with a close eye on building the squad for seasons to come. Yesterday I was rather dissatisfied with the situation, but in the end, Coyle did exactly what he needed to do, and he did it well.