Back-to-back seasons have seen Bolton solidify their place at the top of the league, with a play-off spot last time out providing the necessary confirmation for their ascent back up the pyramid.
Relegation to League Two is already a distant memory, with Ian Evatt and his team focused only on returning to the Championship. Bolton avoided final-day chaos by finishing fifth before facing Barnsley in the play-off semi-finals, where they were defeated 2-1 on aggregate, postponing their comeback.
The agony of the play-offs gives no time to linger on past mistakes; instead, clever planning has seen Bolton make strategic moves in the transfer window while keeping their key players.
Bolton has strengthened its goalkeeping department with the signings of Chelsea’s Nathan Baxter and Joel Coleman, while intriguing loan deals for Paris Maghoma and Zac Ashworth provide players with much to prove.
Elsewhere, defender Will Forrester’s entrance was a quiet but vital addition at the back, while Dan Nlundulu returns on a permanent basis with new signing Carlos Mendes Gomes.
Luke Matheson has signed a 12-month contract with Bolton following a successful trial period, the club revealed.
The 20-year-old first joins Bolton’s B team after participating in the previous three pre-season friendly in the hopes of receiving more regular game time following an unproductive spell in the West Midlands. The former Rochdale kid made headlines when he made his first-team debut at the age of 15, then scored an equaliser at Old Trafford a year later to send Manchester United to penalties in the EFL Cup.
The full-back later joined Premier League club Wolves in January 2020, before returning to Dale for the rest of the season. Matheson was involved in the academy setup and had a number of loan spells around the UK with Ipswich, Hamilton, and Scunthorpe United but failed to make an impact.
George Johnston has signed a new three-year contract despite being ruled out for the 2023/24 season due to a knee ailment.
The Liverpool academy graduate’s contract was supposed to expire next summer, but the club decided to keep him.
He becomes the fourth senior player to sign a new contract this summer, after Gethin Jones, Kyle Dempsey, and John Sheehan.
