Bolton Wanderers and Millwall handed boost in striker transfer race | OneFootball

Gent head coach Rik De Mil has confirmed that Max Dean wants to return to England amid transfer interest from Bolton and Millwall.

Gent head coach Rik De Mil has confirmed that Max Dean wants to move back to England after the forward was left out of their win over KV Mechelen on Sunday.

The 22-year-old, who joined the Belgian side from MK Dons, has been linked with Bolton and Millwall in the summer window, with reports stating that the Trotters have had a bid rejected by Gent for the player.

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Therefore, Dean has continued to train and work with Gent, with talks about any transfer seemingly going on in the background.

Rik De Mil makes Max Dean transfer admission as Bolton and Millwall chase Gent forward

However, speaking ahead of their game against Mechelen on Sunday, Gent chief De Mil told DAZN that he didn’t include Dean in the squad as he is looking to leave for a club in England during the window.

“Max Dean is indeed dealing with some transfer issues on his mind. I had a good conversation with him and I think I also need to protect my squad. I have to come here with the boys who are fully committed.

“He knows England much better. He wants to make a transfer, we’ll see if that works out. I’m giving him that space. But on the other hand, we have to make do with the guys who are 100 per cent focused on Gent.”

It has been suggested that Bolton made an offer of £1m for Dean, which is below Gent’s valuation of the attacker, and it’s worth noting that they paid around £1.7m to sign the ex-Leeds youngster from MK Dons in the summer of 2024.

Max Dean would be a smart signing for Millwall or Bolton

This is an interesting development, and with De Mil leaving Dean out of the squad for the game on Sunday, it does indicate that a transfer may be getting closer.

Either way, you have to appreciate the honesty of the Gent boss, as he has outlined the situation very clearly for all involved, and we know that Dean does want to return to England this summer.

You can see why Bolton and Millwall are tracking the player, as he has done reasonably well in the Belgian top flight in the past few years, scoring six goals in 17 games in his first season, before following that up with seven in 23 last time out.

They’re not spectacular numbers by any means, but Dean brings a lot more to the team with the way he works from the front, and he is a willing runner who will stretch the opposition and lead the press.

So, he is the sort of striker that his teammates will appreciate, and, at 22, it’s obvious that he has plenty of room to develop, which makes interest in Dean understandable.

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That’s why Millwall and Bolton are keen, and whilst he could do a job at either side, you could argue that a move to the latter may make more sense for Dean if he is going to prioritise regular game time.

Ultimately, it’s going to come down to the finances involved though, and Gent will no doubt be looking to recoup what they paid for Dean as an absolute minimum.