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Sam Ricketts is a wanted man this summer as a new report, out of the Bolton News, says that there are now four clubs interested in the Bolton Wanderers defender. Wolverhampton Wanderers opened their discussions with Bolton over the potential signing last weekend but the new report says that there are now two Championship clubs in for Ricketts as well as a fourth, unnamed club.
Another report, out of the Express & Star says that Wolves and Bolton have already agreed a fee for Ricketts. That fee is reportedly part of a "verbal agreement" between the two clubs. Wolves new manager, Kenny Jackett, who left Millwall earlier this summer, has a history with Ricketts.
During the 2003/04 season, Ricketts was a member of Telford United, a Football Conference team who finished that season in 12th. That year, Telford made a solid run in the FA Cup, beating Crewe Alexandra and Brentford before losing to Millwall, who would ultimately reach the Final at the end of the season. The club would not survive after that season and folded upon its conclusion, leaving Ricketts without a club. Kenny Jackett had just begun his tenure as the manager of Swansea City, then a Third Division club. Jackett signed Ricketts and in that season, Swansea won automatic promotion to League One, finishing in third place. It was that year that Ricketts also won the first of his 48 Wales caps.
Speaking in a press conference, Jackett commented on the Ricketts rumors but remained tight-lipped in doing so:
"I took him out of non-league to Swansea and he's done very well in his career since then.
"But I'm not going to comment on players who are with other clubs. I think it's unprofessional.
"It's right to say, just like every manager or head coach at every other club, that I have my targets and we're working away in the background and we do make approaches and try to line players up.
"At this period of time, we're running that alongside other people going out, but for me to comment on other people's players I think is unprofessional.
"My view is that when we sign a player, we will announce it."