Bolton Wanderers pushing to sign Wrexham striker by February 2nd deadline | OneFootball

Bolton Wanderers are leading the race for out-of-favour Wrexham forward Ryan Hardie this month

Steven Schumacher is looking to make some final additions to his Bolton Wanderers squad before the transfer deadline, and is reportedly leading the race for Wrexham forward Ryan Hardie.

As per Pete O'Rourke via X, League One Bolton are pushing to complete a deal for out-of-favour Wrexham forward Ryan Hardie before the end of the window.

Hardie made the switch to North Wales during the summer following Plymouth Argyle's relegation from the Championship, but has struggled to make an impact at the STōK Cae Ras, and could leave the club this month.

The Scot has played less than 180 minutes of league football this season across six appearances, and with Bolton pushing to get a deal over the line, a reunion with Bolton boss Steven Schumacher appears to be well and truly on the cards.

Bolton Wanderers lead the race to sign Wrexham's Ryan Hardie before the deadline

Indeed, Bolton appears to be at the front of the queue for Hardie's signature before the end of the month, with the Trotters eager to get a deal over the line for the Scot.

Football League World had exclusively revealed back in mid-December that the likes of Preston North End, Blackburn Rovers, and Hull City had interest in Hardie, though the Scot seems poised for a switch to Bolton before the end of the month.

Hardie joined Wrexham for a reported £700,000 over the summer following Plymouth's relegation to League One, signing a three-year deal with the Welsh outfit, but now looks as though he is in line for an early exit after just six months with the club.

Wrexham invested £30 million over the summer in improving the playing squad, with the likes of Kieffer Moore, Nathan Broadhead, Lewis O'Brien, Callum Doyle, and Liberto Cacace all joining the club in multi-million-pound deals.

The 28-year-old scored 74 times and notched 23 assists across 248 games during his time with the Pilgrims, leading Wrexham to make him their first summer arrival upon their promotion to the second tier.

However, he has had to compete with the likes of Moore, Sam Smith, and Jay Rodriguez for a place up top, and thus has seen his game time take a drastic hit in comparison to what he had likely hoped.

Now, Bolton are looking to add Hardie to their ranks this winter, having already completed deals for the likes of Corey Blackett-Taylor, Rob Apter, and Jack Bonham this month.

Steven Schumacher will be targeting automatic promotion with Bolton Wanderers, with a Ryan Hardie reunion on the cards

It has been a rocky season for Bolton under boss Schumacher, though after picking up 10 points from a possible 12 in their last four outings, the Trotters have launched themselves into 3rd, albeit still six points off Lincoln City in 2nd, who also have a game in hand.

Bolton are in their fifth consecutive season in the third tier, having last played Championship football back in 2019, with a brief spell in League Two in between, and will be desperate to find a way out of the third tier sooner rather than later.

They have consistently challenged in the upper echelons of League One for each of the last five seasons, and are hoping to go one better under Schumacher this time around.

Schumacher will know Hardie very well from their time shared together at Plymouth, having made 44 appearances, scoring 13 times and grabbing four assists during the Pilgrims' promotion season in 2022/23 under the former Stoke City boss.

Hardie could well be the missing piece of the puzzle up top for Bolton, and with the revelation that star winger Amario Cozier-Duberry is to spend the next couple of months out with an injury, the Scot's addition suddenly becomes all the more important.