Jamie’s Bolton Wanderers Summer Shopping List

There is a tough job to do this summer to build a new team, regardless of how many old faces stay on to play a part. But lets not think about that and jump straight in.

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Jem Karacan probably topped this list for me. With him signed up up I should probably pick another.

The other players who would top the list would likely be Jay Spearing, Adam Le Fondre and Filipe Morais who I would say are most likely to be able to make the step back up.

Of those I would go for Spearing. He is an important player behind the scenes and was vital on the pitch last season. He has done it at Championship level, albeit not consistently. With a point to prove and some form behind him he could be an important player again this season.

Also as you read on you’ll see the other two rolls would be filled making Morais and ALF less important signings.

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So I’m kind of hoping Exeter City win their League Two playoff final. Not just because I live in Exeter these days and League One football is a lot better than League Two, and I can go laugh at Wigan. It also means that my pick for League One player to sign will be a League One player.

Ollie Watkins is the next player off the City production line after Matt Grimes who went to Swansea City for a couple of million a few years ago.

He has really impressed last season scoring 13 goals and setting up a load more. Above the stats he generally looked a cut above when I saw him play last season. He has been attracting admiring glances from Bristol City and Leeds United and it would require cash we currently do not have, but why not dream of investment?

He is a creative player who can play across the midfield. This is something we really lack at the moment and could be a real issue next season. Not only that his value would most likely increase making him a solid investment.

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There is one player on the list who stands out. Jussi Jaaskelainen is the oldest released player in the Championship his season having left Wigan Athletic. We have enough goalkeepers though and at 42 Jussi may even be a little too old.

The other name which stands out is Alan Hutton. Now I’ll confess I do not know whether he is still any good. But we currently do not have a senior right back on our books and Hatton should be a decent player in the Championship. He would, to me, seem like a player worth looking at.

Martell Taylor-Crossdale probably isn’t a name you have ever heard before. He is though likely one you will have heard within a year or two rather like his Chelsea team mate Tammy Abraham. Martell is another hugely talented young striker coming through Chelsea’s youth system who is drawing comparisons to the man who rewrote Championship goalscoring records last season.

What Abraham achieved was incredible in a bang average Bristol City side. A player capable of making a similar impact out of nowhere would be most welcome, especially as I can see us struggling for goals next season.

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This could be almost anyone from the Big Sam spell, even Nicky Hunt given our current lack of right backs. Stuart Holden and Gary Cahill also stand out as the kind of player the team could do with.

The player I would opt for right now though is Jay Jay Okocha. There were points last season where we struggled for creativity and this could be even more of a problem when stepping up a level. Okocha would without a doubt solve that while adding a few goals from midfield for good measure. I don’t really feel I need to justify this any further, after-all he was do good them named him twice.

What do you make of my picks? Tell me I’m wrong in the comments.