Fresh Bolton Wanderers reaction given to Hull City, Mason Burstow update - 'this is best for everybody' | OneFootball

FLW's Bolton Fan Pundit Liam believes it is a good thing for all parties that Hull City are not recalling striker Mason Burstow from Bolton Wanderers.

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...

As Steven Schumacher opted to switch things around at the Toughsheet Community Stadium over the summer, in terms of recruiting for a different shape, Bolton Wanderers needed to focus on incoming strikers.

Versatile forwards such as Aaron Collins, Klaidi Lolos and Carlos Mendes Gomes departed with Kion Etete’s loan expiring, Victor Adeboyejo missing through injury and still a need to replace Dion Charles, following his departure for Huddersfield Town in January.

With Sam Dalby sustaining a hamstring injury early in pre-season, following his move from Wrexham, Wanderers brought in former Chelsea striker Mason Burstow on loan from Hull City just a few days before the start of the season.

Burstow, once highly-rated but still without much to back it up in terms of numbers in the EFL despite commanding a £2 million fee when the Tigers purchased him in the summer of 2024, showed glimpses of real quality on debut against Stockport County in a 2-0 loss before really hitting the ground running.

His form naturally led to speculation that Hull could even consider recalling him to use in the first-team in the second-half of the campaign but City boss Sergej Jakirovic has confirmed that won’t be happening – and that is a boost for Bolton.

Mason Burstow staying at Bolton is brilliant for the Trotters

Having scored his first goal for Bolton in a 2-0 defeat of Plymouth Argyle a week after that loss against Stockport, Burstow went on to have hit seven goals by early-October, following a match-winning brace against Peterborough United.

The goals have dried up a touch of late, albeit he remains just one goal behind joint top scorers in League One Aaron Connolly and Davis Keillor-Dunn, but his all-round game is continuing to shine through, as showed best by superb composure and skill to assist a last-gasp Amario Cozier-Duberry winner at Huddersfield Town before then providing two more assists for Cozier-Duberry in a 4-0 demolition of Port Vale a few weeks ago.

Burstow staying at Bolton, be it on his current loan deal or even perhaps Bolton pursuing a permanent move in January, can only be a good thing for Schumacher and, as FLW’s Bolton Fan Pundit Liam O’Meara explains, good for all parties.

Liam says: “I think it works for everybody, that one.

“My only concern with that one would have been had Hull received an offer from somebody else for him, maybe another Championship club because he has been in good form for Bolton.

“I think his form has dipped a little in the last few weeks but nothing really to cause concern so I did wonder whether another team would look to take a punt on him.

“I didn’t think they’d recall him to use him themselves. I didn’t think that would be the case for Burstow because this has been the most successful period he has had in his professional career so to disrupt that wouldn’t make sense – unless someone looked at his goals and thought they could do with him.

“I think this is best for everybody. In terms of buying him, we don’t have to rush to any decisions. We’ll have to look at what division we’re in next year and what options are available to us.

“The hops it that we would be up in the Championship and we’d have to look at our options. Burstow has been brilliant for us but it may be that we want some experience at that level but we’ll see and it’s a good problem to have in January.”

Bolton could still add in attack in January

It wouldn’t be a massive shock to see Bolton seek to bolster their attacking personnel in the January transfer window, with the out and out ‘number nines’ perhaps limited to just Dalby and Burstow, with Adeboyejo, out of contract next summer, yet to play a single minute so far this season and reports suggesting Bolton will seek to trim some of that fat from their squad in the winter.

Competition would be healthy but, despite the goals drying up a bit, Burstow has to be the man that remains in possession of the shirt unless something drastic was to happen.

The Charlton Athletic academy graduate left a lot of Wanderers fans sceptical when he arrived, with many perceiving it to be a panic signing as Bolton desperately scrambled for an extra body up-front ahead of the campaign.

Burstow had scored just five goals in his league career, with two in League One with the Addicks, one while on loan at Sunderland and two at Hull last season.