Bolton Wanderers urged to make 26-year-old a “priority” if Aaron Collins departs | OneFootball

Bolton Wanderers have been told to finalise a deal for Niall Ennis if Aaron Collins leaves the club.

This article is part of Football League World's 'Terrace Talk' series, which provides personal opinions from our FLW Fan Pundits regarding the latest breaking news, teams, players, managers, potential signings and more…

Bolton Wanderers have been told to finalise a move for Niall Ennis if they do sell Aaron Collins in the summer window.

Steven Schumacher is preparing for his first full campaign in charge of the Trotters, so a busy summer awaits, with the League One side already doing business, with Sam Dalby a notable arrival.

However, more incomings and outgoings are expected, and it has been claimed that Collins could be on the move.

Niall Ennis named as ideal Aaron Collins replacement for Bolton

The attacker joined Bolton in February 2024, in a £750,000 transfer from Bristol Rovers, which meant he was a decent outlay for the club.

Collins has featured regularly for the side since, scoring 28 goals since, with 12 of those coming in the 2024/25 league season.

But a summer exit is a possibility, as it has been reported that Cardiff, Huddersfield and MK Dons are all tracking the player, with Schumacher potentially ready to sanction an exit for Collins.

If Collins does leave, Bolton will be in the market for attacking reinforcements, and bringing in someone to partner Dalby will be on the agenda.

When asked by FLW about who Wanderers should bring in, Bolton fan pundit Liam O’Meara was adamant that Ennis is the man Schumacher needs.

“If we are to sell him, and I do think we might, as I don’t think you get three clubs interested unless there is an idea that you will do business.

“I think Niall Ennis would be the priority, as he would represent a change in system, giving us two different types up front with Dalby and Ennis. It gives you a bit of variety with the way you play, and I do think we’re looking at wingers as well, so it’s not a case of directly replacing Collins, just stepping to a new direction. I don’t want to see us sell Collins, but I understand why we’d do it.”

FLW previously exclusively revealed that Bolton were among a host of clubs who are interested in Ennis, who will be allowed to leave Stoke City this summer.

Niall Ennis could be a prolific scorer in League One

Ennis has always had potential, but he still hasn’t settled at a club to show what he can do on a consistent basis.

He did have one good season with Plymouth, which came in the third tier, back in 2022/23 as they won promotion, and he impressed for Blackpool in the second half of the season that just finished.

So, you would expect him to get goals in League One, and the prospect of Ennis linking up with Dalby is one that should excite fans, as the duo have plenty of qualities as a pairing.

If Collins does move on, Bolton could do a lot worse than Ennis, and whoever does sign the Stoke man will be getting a player who has a point to prove, and who has shown he can get goals at this level.