Steven Schumacher drops Bolton Wanderers transfer update - a boost for Birmingham City? | OneFootball

Bolton boss Steven Schumacher doesn't think that bringing in a new goalkeeper is a priority ahead of the new season

Bolton Wanderers have been hard at work in the transfer market ahead of their first Championship campaign after seven seasons away.

The Trotters spent a lot of time coming up just short in the third tier over the past few years, so they are keen to ensure that their second-tier stay lasts a lot longer than just one season.

So far, Steven Schumacher's side have brought in five new faces, including Liverpool academy product Luca Stephenson and Augsburg forward Kyliane Dong on loan recently, but questions have been raised surrounding the possibility of bringing in a new goalkeeper.

Bolton were amongst the best defensive sides in League One last season, but didn't have much stability between the sticks.

They started the campaign with Chelsea loanee Teddy Sharman-Lowe and Tyler Miller in reserve, but switched them both for Stoke City's Jack Bonham and Fleetwood Town's David Harrington in January.

Bonham was a serviceable goalkeeper in the latter half of 2025/26, keeping four clean sheets in 21 games, alongside a further two in each leg of the play-off semi-final.

Regardless, some feel that the 32-year-old could be upgraded as Bolton gear up for their Championship return, and reports have stated that Brighton and Hove Albion's James Beadle is of interest at the Toughsheet Stadium - however, Birmimgham City also hold an interest and have entered talks to sign him.

Goalkeeper position "not a priority" for Bolton Wanderers this summer, according to Steven Schumacher

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Beadle has spent the last two and a half seasons on loan in the Championship for Sheffield Wednesday and Birmingham City. Across that time, he's kept 25 clean sheets in 92 outings.

The 21-year-old is still highly-rated, but does have a lot of room to improve. He lost his place towards the end of his tenure at Hillsborough, and he didn't live up to the bill for many Birmingham fans last season, either.

Regardless, at a club like Bolton, he'd be a strong addition and could easily develop there, but Trotters boss Steven Schumacher isn't currently on the hunt for a new goalkeeper any time soon.

"It's not a priority position," he told the Bolton News. "When we've got a limited budget, it isn't something where we can say, 'let's just go and bring another goalkeeper that we don't think improves the department.

"It's not a priority position because we've got three goalkeepers who are all capable of playing in our team and doing well, and we've got Luke Hutchinson who was out on loan as well, so there are four training every single day.

"Right now that isn't an area that we're really focusing on; there are other areas that we have to spend our money in first."

A lot of Bolton's big-hitters going forward in their promotion campaign last season were on loan. The likes of Amario Cozier-Duberry, Mason Burstow, Ibrahim Cissoko and Johnny Kenny have all returned to their parent clubs.

Heading into pre-season, only Sam Dalby and John McAtee made up the strikers at the Toughsheet Stadium, with Dong coming in to help bolster that.

Understandably, he won't be the only addition to the forward line, and Bolton will be focusing on bolstering that before they think about upgrading in positions that they're already set in.

How Bolton Wanderers fans have reacted to Steven Schumacher's latest update

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Schumacher knows Bonham from his time with the goalkeeper at Stoke. The 32-year-old was primarily the backup keeper during the Bolton boss' time at the bet365 Stadium a few years ago, but he evidently trusts him to be the number one at his current club.

The reaction online to Schumacher backing his current goalkeeper core is mixed, to say the least. Some Bolton fans are in the belief that they need a new shot-stopper who is better suited for the Championship, while others are fine with Bonham starting next season.

"The management have thus far done well since arriving at the club, but I firmly believe we need a much better first-choice keeper. No disrespect to Bonham, but it's a position in the team that is so vital to grinding out the results we will need to consolidate our status," one fan said on X.

Meanwhile, another commented, "I don't understand the negativity towards Jack; he played a key role in getting us up last season. We have limited funds, and we need to prioritise more key areas. I think there's a good chance Schumacher and Fergal [Harkin] know more than any of us."

"I think he'll be even better next season after a full preseason and after a half-season being 1st choice for the 1st time in years. I'm more than happy for us to prioritise attack," one added, and ultimately, that's the stance that Bolton should be taking.

If they use their limited budget to help improve the attack and bring it up to scratch ahead of the upcoming campaign, then the goalkeeper position may be left on the back burner, which could be a risk, but one that could easily pay off.

If Bonham can prove himself in between the sticks in the upcoming campaign, there'll be no complaints surrounding no keeper additions at the Toughsheet Stadium this summer.