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As Owen Coyle looks to strengthen his side ahead of the long Championship season coming up, he will be considering as many cheap and free transfer options as possible. New reports from the likes of Setanta suggest that the latest blip on Owen's radar is Scottish midfielder Ian Black. At 5 feet 8 inches tall, the central midfielder isn't huge but he's been known to put in a hard hit or two.
At 27, Black wouldn't be anywhere near being one of the youngest players in Bolton's squad. The Wanderers do desperately need depth in the midfield role and the former Hearts man could definitely provide that. Black is no stranger to a strangle tackle and a card every now and then, the former point being a stark contrast to the likes of Mark Davies.
Black started as a Blackburn Rovers youth and was there for about a season before his 2004 signing for Inverness CT in Scotland. He was at Inverness for five seasons before signing for boyhood favorite club Hearts (insert Robbie Keane joke here) in 2009. Since then, Black had made 88 appearances for the club, scoring 4 goals in that time. Black was part of the side that lead Hearts to Scottish Cup glory this past season. He was however not offered a new deal and will be a free agent this summer. Bolton rival Rangers (if their transfer embargo is lifted) for his signature now.
"It's flattering and if they are allowed to sign players and they're keen, I would love to sit down and listen to what they have to say,
"I'm still waiting for a concrete offer. I've not had any interest yet. It's just a waiting game but hopefully somebody will offer me something.
"I would like to play in England but staying in Scotland is still an option.
"I would not rule anything out.
"I'll just sit tight and hopefully I'll have two or three options that I can weigh up and choose from.
"My agent is working away behind the scenes doing his best."
Black has had a run-in with the law in the past however, having been arrested with possession of a Class A drug but was later released. Whether this is the kind of player that Bolton Wanderers want remains to be seen.