Bolton Wanderers will be in dreamland if Johnny Kenny & Cozier-Duberry sign before August 15th | OneFootball

Bolton's chances of beating the drop in their return to the Championship will improve massively if these two former loanees return to the fold

Bolton Wanderers play their first Championship match since May 2019 on August 15 when they welcome Preston North End to the Toughsheet Stadium.

It's been a long road to get back to the second tier for the former Premier League regulars. The Trotters were nearly liquidated in the summer of 2019, then suffered relegation once more the following year to League Two.

Despite being promoted out of the fourth tier at the first attempt, League One proved a little harder to crack, failing in the play-offs twice before they made it third time lucky this past May, beating Stockport County at Wembley to regain their Championship status.

Given how much it's taken to get to this point, Bolton will be eager to ensure that their stay in the second tier doesn't last just the one year and end in immediate relegation, but a lot still has to be done to strengthen the side ahead of that curtain-raiser against their Lancashire rivals.

Head coach Steven Schumacher has outlined his desire for more reinforcements this summer, and these two former loanees will help establish the Trotters back in the Championship in their first season back.

Johnny Kenny

Ultimately, the main area that Bolton need to improve before August 15 is at the top end of the pitch. A lot of their attacking quality last season was on loan, and bringing back a couple of fan favourites who won't need time to integrate themselves into the side would be optimal.

Starting with frontman Johnny Kenny, who led the line for Steven Schumacher in the second half of last season after arriving on loan from Celtic.

The 23-year-old Irish international has plenty of potential, but has yet to realise it with the Scottish giants, scoring just six times in limited minutes in the first half of last season before being sent to the League One promotion hopefuls.

At the Toughsheet Stadium, Kenny netted six times and assisted a further three in just 14 appearances, helping Bolton consolidate their place in the top six. Unfortunately, he was unable to play a part in their successful play-off campaign after he suffered a knee injury on the final day against Luton Town.

Celtic are looking to bring in highly-rated frontman Kasper Hogh from Bodo/Glimt this summer, and reports are stating that the Hoops are willing to listen to offers for Kenny once that move is completed.

Bolton are one of the sides interested in re-signing the 23-year-old, and they need to be at the front of that queue, as the Irishman is evidently someone who will improve their striker position tenfold.

Amario Cozier-Duberry

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Amario Cozier-Duberry is a former loanee whose return to Bolton seems a little more far-fetched, but if the Trotters can somehow convince Brighton and Hove Albion to let him return to the Toughsheet Stadium this summer, they'll indeed be in dreamland.

The 21-year-old wideman had a breakout season last year in League One, racing out to six goals and five assists by early November. A knee injury derailed that momentum somewhat, but he still ended the campaign with eight goals and 10 assists in just 30 league starts.

He shone in the play-offs, too, scoring the only goal in their 1-0 win over Bradford City in their semi-final first leg, and it was his cross that Kyle Wootton turned into his own net to retake the lead in the final against Stockport.

Despite his last venture into the Championship with Blackburn Rovers being a bit of a failure, scoring just once in 22 games in the 2024/25 campaign, there's no doubt he'd be one of the better right-wingers in the division this time round.

Unfortunately, reports of a potential return aren't positive, with it being revealed that Steven Schumacher's side are fighting a losing battle to bring him back. Belgian outfit Anderlecht have had a £5 million bid rejected, and Rangers are ramping up their interest, too.

But it's evident how much Cozier-Duberry enjoyed his time at Bolton last season, and if he was to head out on loan again for the upcoming campaign, a return would definitely be high on his preferred list of destinations.