Bolton Wanderers urged against late transfer exit amid EFL interest - he "would be a massive loss" | OneFootball

Bolton Wanderers have been warned against the sale of Josh Sheehan by FLW's Wanderers Fan Pundit.

Bolton Wanderers have, perhaps almost inexplicably, manoeuvred themselves into a position whereby they are in the hunt for the top two and the automatic promotion spots in League One.

It has been yet another busy transfer window for the Whites with goalkeepers Jack Bonham and David Harrington having been signed, as well as centre-back Lewis Temple.

In terms of outgoings, Teddy Sharman-Lowe has returned to Chelsea with fellow ‘keeper Tyler Miller moving to Charlotte. Will Forrester has joined Leyton Orient, Josh Dacres-Cogley was allowed to move to Stockport County, Joel Randall has moved to Blackpool on loan and Victor Adeboyejo is now a Mansfield Town player on a permanent basis.

Steven Schumacher has discussed his desire to get signings in, especially with the two-month injury to Brighton loanee winger Amario Cozier-Duberry, and yet talk of further outgoings remains most prominent in the Boltonian media.

Aaron Morley is the subject of interest from Oxford United and now fellow midfielder Josh Sheehan is supposedly wanted by fellow League One clubs, according to Pete O'Rourke.

With Sheehan a fundamental part of Wanderers’ 11, and having provided match winners in their last two victories for which he was fit against Rotherham United and Wigan Athletic, it would be very strange to see him depart.

Bolton Wanderers transfer dilemma involving Josh Sheehan addressed

Josh Sheehan has had critics at Bolton but every player at every club does. On the whole, he has been a magnificent signing and servant to the club, and he is perhaps approaching his very best at the moment.

With that, FLW’s Bolton Fan Pundit Liam O'Meara has suggested it would be a poor move to let Sheehan go, but the fact that Morley remains at the Toughsheet Community Stadium is a bit of a concern.

Liam told FLW: “I would be surprised if we weren’t wanting to keep him, but it does seem strange that Aaron Morley hasn’t gone yet, so there might be something in that.

“He’s been integral this season, and it would be a massive loss this late in the window.

“We would need to replace him, put simply. I would rather keep him and take less money in the summer than let him go now.

“If it was at the beginning of the window with time to replace him then that is a very different conversation, but with four days left in the window and arguably our best player of the season so far, our central defensive midfielder who keeps the game ticking along.

“He’s one of the reasons we’ve been so good at home, it would be a massive loss at this stage.”

Josh Sheehan is back to his best at Bolton Wanderers — Steven Schumacher can't lose him

Having arrived on a free transfer from Newport County in the summer of 2021, following Bolton’s promotion from League Two, Josh Sheehan immediately hit the ground running as one of the more advanced midfielders in Ian Evatt’s side.

However, the Wales international, who will now be hoping to play at the 2026 FIFA World Cup, endured a difficult couple of years due to injury before reinventing himself in the 2023/24 campaign.

As Bolton missed out on automatic promotion on the final day of the season before going on to lose the play-off final to Oxford United, Sheehan was absolutely immense and was named Wanderers’ Player of the Year for that campaign.

Following a dip last season, as the club and most of the squad dipped, Sheehan has returned to being back towards his best this time around and has been instrumental in helping the Trotters launch a push for automatic promotion from League One.

With so little time left in the window and Bolton having already allowed so many players to leave this month, it would be very bizarre if they sanctioned the departure of Sheehan.