Big Bolton Wanderers decision involving Dion Charles could win them promotion: Opinion | OneFootball

Bolton Wanderers came into the 2023/24 season as one of the favourites for promotion to the Championship.

The Trotters have been on an upward trajectory for a few seasons now, and in the previous campaign they were within touching distance of reaching England’s second tier.

However, they fell short against Barnsley, and it now means they are looking to go one step further this season.

The Lancashire side have started the season well and have aims of not just finishing in the play-offs, but the automatic places and their aims will have been given a boost in recent weeks as star player Dion Charles signed a new contract to stay at the club.

This decision came as a boost to Bolton, as the forward was heavily linked with Championship clubs in the summer.

Which teams were interested in Dion Charles during the summer?

The Northern Irishman has been with the Trotters since January 2022, and during his time at the club and his spell with Accrington Stanley, he has seen himself become one of the best forwards in the third tier.

Charles was crucial to Bolton reaching the play-offs last season, as he netted 16 goals in League One but 21 in all competitions.

Those stats and his performances seemed to have got teams from the Championship interested, as Watford and Stoke City were two sides mentioned in the summer.

Both were said to be interested and were keeping an eye on the forward as the window came to a close. But a move didn't happen, and he instead remained with Bolton, and it resulted in him signing a new contract.

Why could Dion Charles signing a new contract with Bolton Wanderers win them promotion?

Charles still had two years left to run on his Bolton contract, but at the end of August, it was announced that the 27-year-old had agreed a new deal, that sees his deal expire in 2026.

That will come as a big boost to Bolton, as it means, at the very least, they get to keep hold of their best player for this season, and that means their promotion hopes have been given a significant boost.

As stated, Bolton already have high expectations on their shoulders this season, so if they lost Charles in the summer, their hopes could have been severely dashed.

However, Charles signing a new deal means it is likely the forward has committed to this season, so when January comes along, he won’t be interested in a move away.

This means Bolton’s chances of promotion are very high, and as long as the forward keeps finding the back of the net, they will think they have more than a good chance of returning to the second tier.

Already, Charles has seven goals in 10 league appearances this season at the time of writing. But his overall game seems to be getting better, as he’s averaging 3.4 shots per game with 0.5 dribbles, as he likes to take defenders on.

The forward isn’t involved in much build-up, as he’s only averaging 13.1 passes per game, but 72.5% are considered to be successful, and that has led to him collecting 0.4 key passes, as per WhoScored.com.

The concern in the long term would be that if Bolton don’t seal promotion this season, then their chances of keeping Charles may drop, as he’s bound to get Championship interest again, and he is likely going to want to take it.

This season, their chances of promotion are very strong, and if Charles keeps finding the net, he is likely to play a big role in Bolton’s success this season.