Bolton Wanderers: Steven Schumacher will hope for Plymouth Argyle repeat if he lands exciting transfer | OneFootball

The possible arrival of Niall Ennis at Bolton Wanderers to reunite with manager Steven Schumacher could be a masterstroke.

As Bolton Wanderers prepare for yet another season in League One, Steven Schumacher is beginning his first summer as Trotters boss, and he will be keen to ensure he puts his own stamp on the squad.

The former Plymouth Argyle and Stoke City boss has been keen to discuss the changes he wants and expects with regards to how Bolton have gone about their recruitment in recent years.

He will be joined by new Sporting Director Fergal Harkin, who is arriving from Standard Liege, as well as Plymouth Argyle’s current Head of Recruitment Jimmy Dickinson, according to Alan Nixon via his Patreon, who worked with Schumacher both at Bury and with the Pilgrims.

One man that Bolton have been linked with that could prove to be a crucial signing and one that certainly stands out as fitting the bill would be Stoke City’s Niall Ennis.

Ennis is the perfect fit for Bolton

Ennis, who came through the academy at Wolverhampton Wanderers, is a striker that Bolton do not have at the moment, which is someone that has been proven to be of the requisite quality to challenge at the top end of the third-tier.

They sold their top scorer Dion Charles to Huddersfield Town in the winter transfer window and replaced the Northern Ireland international with the loan signing of Cardiff City forward Kion Etete.

Etete has since departed the Toughsheet Community Stadium after a woeful campaign, leaving former Burton Albion striker Victor Adeboyejo as the only out-and-out forward at the club. Adeboyejo has had his moments at Bolton, but injuries have majorly affected him, and he has never shown a consistency to be the striker to lead a consistent Bolton promotion charge.

The other forwards in the squad, such as John McAtee, Aaron Collins and Klaidi Lolos, are all better in other positions, such as out-wide in Collins’ case or as an attacking midfielder in Lolos’. McAtee, brother of James, is still searching for his best position.

Gambling on players to take a step-up or thrive in a different position to the one they have previously thrived in is not what the signing of Ennis would be, as the former Wolves man is simply an out-and-out striker who has been there and done it in League One.

Bolton didn't have a player featuring amongst the League One top goalscorers last season, something that must be addressed in 2025/26 to launch a promotion push.

Thriving under Schumacher

Bolton boss will hope for Plymouth repeat

Ennis spent a few years out on loan whilst at Wolves with moves to Shrewsbury Town, Doncaster Rovers and Burton Albion before permanently leaving for Plymouth in the winter of 2021.

After a couple of frustrating campaigns in terms of injuries and getting regular minutes, Ennis eventually thrived in Schumacher’s only full season at Home Park as he struck 12 goals in 38 appearances in League One as they won the league title with over 100 points.

That was the best season of Ennis' career and came under Schumacher in the same league as which Bolton will be hoping to propel themselves out of, at last, next season.

He earned a move to Blackburn Rovers in the summer of 2023 but was then reunited with Schumacher less than six months later with a move to the Bet365 Stadium, joining Schumacher at Stoke.

Schumacher left in mid-September and Ennis found himself shipped out again on loan to League One, where he once again thrived and showed a good scoring touch, hitting seven goals in 19 appearances for Blackpool – including the winning goal in a 2-1 victory against Bolton back in late-March.

Ennis remains under contract in Staffordshire, but if Bolton can prise him to Lancashire on a permanent basis, then it could well be a masterstroke by Schumacher and the club, particularly if they can lure that promotion-winning strike rate we saw at Plymouth.