Bolton Wanderers must try sign Max Dean or Wrexham star if John McAtee is sold | OneFootball

If Bolton cash in on John McAtee, they should look to replace him with Max Dean or Davis Keillor-Dunn

Bolton Wanderers marked their return to the Championship after a seven-year absence with a big win against Preston North End at the Toughsheet Stadium.

A slow summer transfer window meant that expectations outside of Bolton for Steven Schumacher's side weren't that high for opening day, even if they were facing off against another short-handed outfit in Preston.

Nevertheless, several stars from that League One promotion campaign last season proved people wrong. Josh Sheehan and Ethan Erhahon were solid on their Championship debuts, and going forward, Thierry Gale put in a performance that made fans excited about what he can do out wide in the second tier.

One of the more unprecedented performances came from John McAtee, though, who was afforded a rare start and took his opportunity well.

John McAtee's performance vs Preston North End has sparked exit talk

The presence of McAtee in the lineup on Saturday was the biggest indication that Bolton needed reinforcements going forward. The 27-year-old was merely a squad player for Steven Schumacher's side last season, starting just seven league games and playing fewer than 800 minutes.

Indeed, this was only his second start in league action since early February. The other game, away at Plymouth Argyle on Good Friday, saw him sent off in the first half.

But the doubts surrounding McAtee were quickly put to bed, as the attacking midfielder played some good link-up play with Sam Dalby and played a brilliant through ball to assist Gale for the second of the game.

When Ruben Rodrigues comes back from injury, he'll likely usurp McAtee's place in the lineup, but after that performance, there's potential that the 27-year-old will be on his way out of Bolton altogether in the coming weeks.

Cardiff City, Charlton Athletic and Lincoln City have all explored a move for the former Barnsley man, who is in the final year of his contract with Bolton. If he does end up leaving the Toughsheet Stadium, here are two players Steven Schumacher should look to replace him with.

Max Dean

Action images

There's speculation that letting McAtee go could be a way to help raise some funds for a potential bid for Gent striker Max Dean, who Bolton have been linked with recently.

Alan Nixon reported last week that Wanderers had a deal agreed for the former Leeds United youth prospect and a medical had been booked, only for Steven Schumacher to debunk that ahead of the league opener against Preston on Saturday.

could be priced out of a deal for the 22-year-old, selling McAtee to free up the funds to launch a deal might not be out of the question, and while risky, may end up being the only route to bringing him in.

Dean has battled a serious ACL injury during his time in Belgium, but outside of that, his goal return has been solid, netting 12 times in 32 Belgian top-flight games and 20 in 56 in all competitions for his current side.

The frontman has plenty of potential and has his heart set on a return to England. If Bolton can match Gent's asking price, it's a deal that makes sense for all parties.

Davis Keillor-Dunn

Action Images

Dean and McAtee provide different profiles for Bolton, with the Gent striker a more natural number nine, and the 27-year-old as someone who performs best playing off of someone in a more advanced number 10 role.

In Wrexham's Davis Keillor-Dunn, Steven Schumacher would have someone who could operate in both roles to perfection.

The 28-year-old has had a rough six months in North Wales. He hasn't started a single game for the Red Dragons, playing just over 100 minutes across nine cameo bench appearances.

In League One, Keillor-Dunn was one of the best goalscorers in the division for Barnsley, netting 31 times in 66 league games, which earned him his Championship move in the January transfer window. While it hasn't worked out for him, it doesn't mean that his levels have dropped.

The 28-year-old still deserves a fair crack at the second tier, and Bolton should be on hand to give him one. Reports earlier this month stated that Wrexham may be looking to loan him out before the window closes on September 1, and Wanderers should be keen to be at the top of the list of suitors.