The Loan List: Who Bolton Wanderers Should Be Trying For

Jamal Blackman - Chelsea, Goalkeeper.

Wanderers are currently stocked to the rafters with keepers even considering the sad departure of Will Jaaskelainen. We have Ben Amos, Ben Alnwick, Mark Howard and Jake Turner. With the exception of the latter I'm not really happy with any of the choices. For the record I'm all for giving Turner a fair crack in pre-season and giving him a chance to start (a separate piece). If like me Parkinson also doesn't rate any of those keepers then we could do a lot worse than Jamal Blackman. He stands 6ft 6 tall and creates an imposing image in goal. Chelsea have all but admitted he is one of their perpetual loanees and expect to see him go out again next season. He spent last season on loan at Wycombe Wanderers playing 39 games in total. Whilst this isn't a great level he impressed enough for the Chelsea goalkeeping coach to say he could mount a serious challenge in a couple of years and wants to see him go on a higher profile loan next year. He's capped up to England under 19 level and received the young player of the year award from Wycombe. If we can shift our keepers out, I wouldn't mind seeing him between the sticks.

Connor Randall - Liverpool, Right Back

Also well documented is our shortage at right back. We have seen Lewis Buxton and Reece Wabara leave the club which leaves us without a recognised right back in the playing staff. Assuming Parkinson will want to revert to his preferred 4231, this will be a position we will have to fill. Randall is a quick player and is defensively solid. He made 7 appearances for Liverpool in the 15/16 season but failed to register any for the season just gone. A couple of Championship clubs were linked with the 21 year old last season but nothing ever came of their interest. Capped for England youth teams, he could be a decent addition to the back line.

Liam Walsh - Everton, Centre Midfield

A midfielder who's small in stature but not lacking in talent. He has gone under the radar with the plethora of youngsters Everton are bringing through at the moment but is rated highly at Goodison Park. He won the Premier League 2 (the fuck is that?) player of the month for February and has been on the cusp of getting a call up ever since. Everton have big competition in Central Midfield with another graduate, Tom Davies being preferred to Walsh. Despite this, Everton under 23 coach, David Unsworth said that the youngster 'runs games' and describes him as tenacious in midfield. Whilst we have good players in centre mid' already, we lack certain attributes which Walsh could undoubtedly bring.

Iké Ugbo - Chelsea, Striker

Another Chelsea man on the list but at the opposite end of the field. Chelsea haven't been short of producing good strikers in this League with Tammy Abraham a prime example last year. Being 18 and limited under 23 experience, a loan to the Championship might be a bit too soon; that said if you're a gambling man you might look again. His record in the under 18s was amazing last year, 26 games/26 goals and he has all the athletic attributes that make a great striker. He is tall, strong and with a good turn of pace. We desperately need someone not just to score next year but to be a target man . Gary Madine is not good enough to be a weekly starter in the Championship regardless of this years performances. Ugbo is a risk, but like Abraham it could pay dividends.

Sam Gallagher - Southampton, Striker

Here is a player we should be fighting tooth an nail to secure for next season. One of the many Plymouth Argyle imports at the Southampton academy and a perfect fit for the Parkinson system. He stands 6ft 4 tall and is a dominating striker on the field. He played last year in the Championship for Blackburn Rovers, granted that's not a great indication but look a little closer and 11 goals in a struggling team is a good return. As I've previously mentioned, Madine cannot be the striker we rely on next year, if he is we won't last in this league. An upgrade is required and we should look no further than Gallagher.

Ashley Fletcher - West Ham, Striker

Another striker but in a different mould to the others mentioned. Whilst still tall at 6ft, he relies more on pace and most of all his footwork. He played 10 games in the Premier League last year but failed to register a single goal and reports are that West Ham intend to spend big upfront this summer. With that in mind, I think he is well worth getting in. His first club? A little ol' place called BOLTON WANDERERS. You probably wont remember him as he was poached at the age of 14 by Manchester United. Fletcher impressed enough to warrant a new deal at United but turned it down in search of first team football. Always prolific in the youth ranks and a moderately successful loan with Barnsley in 15/16 is enough for me to say he'd be a good one to have. Added to that it's always good to see a player return 'home'. Adam Le Fondre spoke this week how when things aren't going right, the extra fan love really helps players to keep their composure. This is something Fletcher could benefit from if he makes the move.