Bolton Wanderers must be alert to Stoke City situation | OneFootball

Bolton Wanderers must be on alert to Stoke City's transfer business in case a move for Sam Gallagher arises

Bolton Wanderers' over seven-year absence from the Championship is finally over, and as the Trotters prepare for life back in the second tier, head coach Steven Schumacher will be looking to add to the business that has already been conducted this summer.

Former Plymouth Argyle and Stoke City head coach Steven Schumacher has masterminded Bolton's return to the Championship following their relegation to the third tier back in 2019, as the 42-year-old's next aim is to keep them there.

Having already completed deals for the likes of Luca Stephenson, David Watson, Ben Davies, Akin Famewo, Kylianne Dong, and Gaizka Larrazabal, Schumacher has made it clear that more additions are a necessity in Greater Manchester.

With three of their four top scorers from last season, namely Mason Burstow, Amario Cozier-Duberry, and Johnny Kenny, having left the club after their loan spells, the final third ought to be a high priority area to improve this summer.

Sam Dalby, at this stage, remains the only recognised senior centre-forward in the Bolton ranks, as Schumacher should be keeping an eye on his former club in case an opportunity to reunite with a player he has previously signed arises.

Bolton Wanderers should be keeping tabs on Stoke City's transfer dealings in case an opportunity to sign Sam Gallagher arrives

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With both Burstow and Kenny having left the club, Bolton desperately need another centre-forward or two this summer.

Schumacher will be more than aware of that fact, and simply cannot head into their first game of the season at home to Preston North End with just Dalby as an option up top, and should be keeping tabs on his former club Stoke in case an opportunity to sign Sam Gallagher emerges.

Gallagher, 30, came through the ranks at Southampton, and has since spent time with MK Dons, Birmingham City, Blackburn Rovers, and Stoke, where he has had a difficult time during his two years in the Potteries.

The English striker joined Stoke from Blackburn for around £1.5 million in the summer of 2024, incidentally under the watch of Schumacher, but would fail to make a single appearance under the 42-year-old, as injuries plagued his first months at the club, where the current Bolton boss was sacked just four games into the 2024/25 campaign.

Since then, repeated injury woes have disrupted Gallagher's minutes on the pitch, with just five goals and one assist in 42 appearances across two years at the bet365 Stadium.

It was reported by Alan Nixon via Patreon that Stoke could look to shift him on this summer for a minimal fee, with both Robert Bozenik and Milan Smit vying for a place as Mark Robins' first-choice centre-forward.

However, now, Stoke have reportedly seen another bid for Sarpsborg striker Daniel Karlsbakk knocked back, according to The Sun, with Robins clearly still dissatisfied with his current options in that role, including Gallagher.

This is despite the 30-year-old having netted three times in two games during pre-season against Crewe Alexandra and Sheffield Wednesday, where he has impressed.

Should Stoke indeed agree a deal to bring Karlsbakk to the Potteries, Bolton must be on high alert to make a move for Gallagher should the opportunity present itself.

Although he has struggled with injuries across the past couple of years, with 55 goals and 23 assists in 306 Championship games under his belt at 30, there is every reason to believe he can still be incredibly effective at this level if he can remain fit.

Keeping him fit would be the biggest challenge for Bolton to overcome, as the Trotters likely cannot afford to have someone earning his sort of wage demands spending more time in the treatment room than on the pitch.

Having already signed him once but without the opportunity to ever utilise him, Schumacher must consider a swoop for Gallagher this summer if the opportunity does indeed come about to bring him to Greater Manchester, with the experienced striker potentially being a game-changer for Bolton next season.

Steven Schumacher must be monitoring Stoke City's transfer situation in case of Sam Gallagher's availability

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With Schumacher admitting to wanting more bodies through the doors before the end of the window, the 42-year-old has not cited any position in particular in need of strengthening, saying: "There's still loads more to come, I still feel as though we need a lot of players in a lot of positions.

"We're still working really hard behind the scenes because we know that to get into the Championship and to compete week in, week out, we need more firepower."

Gallagher, if he can keep fit, would more than add the necessary firepower to Bolton's attack, and as an option to either start the game or come off the bench, he has the ability to win the Trotters numerous points across the course of the season, and could be the difference between safety and relegation.