"Just can't afford" - Bolton Wanderers sent clear message over Randell Williams future | OneFootball

The 27-year-old looks to be facing an uncertain future with Ian Evatt's side

Bolton Wanderers should be looking to move on from Randell Williams at the end of this season.

That's according to Football League World's fan pundit for the League One club Oliver Jaques, who says that injuries and form have been a problem for the wideman during his time with the Trotters.

Williams joined Bolton back in the 2023 January transfer window, when he signed from Championship side Hull City for an undisclosed fee.

However, the 27-year-old's contract with the club is set to expire at the end of the campaign, giving them a choice over whether to extend his deal to keep him or allow him to leave on a free transfer.

Now it seems as though Jaques has already made up his mind about whether or not Williams should remain with the club beyond the end of this season.

However, he has been limited in his game time by injury, which Jaques believes has also impacted his form.

As a result, he feels that his side should not be persisting with the 27-year-old once his contract expires in the summer, when there may be other more effective options available.

When asked whether he thinks his side should keep Williams or let him go when his current contract expires next summer, the Bolton fan pundit told Football League World: "I'd probably let him go. It's difficult to say with Randell, he always seems to be injured. He sort of struggles for form, then finds some form, and just as he finds form, he picks up a fresh injury.

"And we just can't afford to be carrying people who are constantly carrying injuries, on and off. He is quite inconsistent as well, which I would put down to the fact that he doesn't have 20 games in a row, due to his injuries and his fitness.

"He recently had a really really poor game against Villa Under 21s in the cup, one of his worst ever, so I'd be looking elsewhere. We need to start pushing on for the division above now, the Championship, so I'd be looking elsewhere."

So far this season, Bolton have taken 14 points from nine league games, meaning they currently sit 14th in the League One table. They are, however, just two points adrift of the play-off places.

Ian Evatt's side are next in action when they return after the international break on Saturday afternoon by hosting Burton Albion at The ToughSheet Community Stadium.

Bolton may be right to let Randell Williams go

It does feel as though the end of his contract in the summer could be a good time for the Trotters to let Williams leave the club.

The wide player's time with the League One side does seem to have been a rather frustrating one for both parties, so a fresh start could help all involved.

Indeed, at 27 years old, Williams is going to want to be playing regularly, and a move away from Bolton could be his best chance to do that if things are not going right there.

As has been pointed out here, the Trotters are going to be aiming for promotion to the Championship, after missing out in the play-offs in recent years.

But with Williams seemingly now struggling at a lower level, it could be a risk for the club to rely on him if and when they do make the step up to the second tier.

It is also worth noting that he previously struggled to make much of an impact in the division for Hull, which could also add to the questions about his suitability for that level should the Trotters go up.

With all that in mind, it seems as though allowing Williams' contract to run down and expire next summer, could be the sensible thing for Bolton to do.