Bolton Wanderers face fresh transfer issue as September 1st looms | OneFootball

Bolton Wanderers midfielder Joel Randall is still without an offer as the transfer window enters its final week

Out-of-favour Bolton Wanderers midfielder Joel Randall is still free to leave the Toughsheet Stadium this summer, but the Trotters are yet to receive an offer as the transfer window enters its final week.

Bolton have picked up four points from their first two games back in the Championship after seven years away, backing up their win on opening day with a defiant performance away from home against QPR on Saturday.

Despite that solid start, Steven Schumacher's side are still far from the finished product in terms of personnel in the squad, especially in forward areas. That being said, there's still no room for attacking midfielder Randall, who has been deemed surplus to requirements.

Bolton Wanderers still await offers for Joel Randall

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Randall hasn't played for Bolton since January 4, spending the latter half of last season on loan at Blackpool and reuniting with former Trotters boss Ian Evatt, who brought him to the Toughsheet Stadium in January 2025.

Evatt was sacked less than two weeks after the move, though, and the 26-year-old hasn't been able to impress Steven Schumacher during his 18 months at the helm.

Randall has registered just five goal contributions in 39 games at Bolton, with the majority of his league appearances coming off the bench — the 10-goal, seven-assist campaign he registered at Peterborough United back in 2023/24 seems a long time ago now.

But even with the senior attacking midfield options light after Ruben Rodrigues' knee injury, Steven Schumacher opted for 18-year-old Toby Ritchie on the bench at QPR, rather than Randall. Evidently, there's no room for the 26-year-old in the squad, but the Bolton boss admitted that there's been no interest in him this summer.

"I don't think so, not at this stage," Schumacher responded when asked about interest in Randall from elsewhere, per the Bolton News. "He's still training with us.

"But yes, he'll be a player, obviously, who will want to go and play football, as there will be others in the squad who will see that their game time is limited and not an opportunity for them to play.

"As I say, we've got 10 days or whatever it is to sort all that out and get sorted where we need to go."

Bolton Wanderers fans react to Joel Randall situation

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Bolton fans online weren't that sympathetic towards Randall after it was revealed that there hasn't been any interest in the attacking midfielder this summer.

"One of the worst transfers in our history," one supporter commented online in response to the Bolton News sharing the article on X.

"Get him working in the club shop. May as well earn his pay doing something. Has to go down as the worst transfer of the past decade. He'll be on big wages, and we'll be stuck with him until he walks out on a free," another added.

Ultimately, it's not up to Randall how much the club paid him per week after he arrived at the Toughsheet Stadium.

At the time, he was worth the money spent. As mentioned, he was a big part of the Peterborough side who made the League One play-offs in 2024, and he followed that up with seven goals and four assists in 25 games in the first half of the 2024/25 campaign.

Ultimately, though, he was an Ian Evatt signing, highlighted by the fact that he brought him to Blackpool last season. "Evatt will bid 50p on deadline day," one fan joked in the replies.

"I never understood the logic behind that original transfer, nor did 99% of all our fans, and that was without the benefit of hindsight. Even more unfathomable considering we lost fan favourite Collins in the process. That said, I hope Joel soon restarts his stalled career," one slightly sympathetic Bolton fan commented.

Joel Randall needs a fresh start away from Bolton Wanderers

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The last 18 months of Randall's career have been incredibly difficult. From costing Bolton £1.3 million in League One, the 26-year-old is now struggling to find any suitors to leave the Toughsheet Stadium.

Randall's loan spell at Blackpool didn't do much to showcase why he was worth a seven-figure fee one year earlier.

He fell victim to the Tangerines' injury curse in just his second game at Bloomfield Road, and spent more time on the bench than in the starting line-up during the run-in, a period where Ian Evatt's side won six of their last seven games.

Randall was evidently devoid of confidence and needs a fresh start elsewhere. The only question is whether a club is ready to take a chance on him recapturing his form from his Peterborough days away from his current club.