Stoke City in transfer link to prolific Bolton Wanderers striker
Dion Charles has re-emerged in the Stoke City transfer gossip as Alex Neil continues his summer shopping.
The Northern Ireland striker was linked with Stoke a couple of years ago after finding form and regular goals for Accrington Stanley but he ended up making the move to Bolton Wanderers.
Now aged 27, he has been a key figure as Bolton have re-established themselves at the right end of League One and his two goals in a 3-0 win at Cheltenham on Saturday took him to 31 in total, from 79 appearances. He scored 23 last season as they reached the play-offs, with Stoke scouts regularly in attendance, and has been open that he wants 25 this time around.
But now TeamTalk suggest that he is on the agenda of Championship clubs including Stoke and Watford, who meet each other at the bet365 Stadium this weekend. Stoke have already beaten Watford in the pursuit of Wesley from Aston Villa but Neil still wants to add to his strike department and has also been linked with Everton’s Tom Cannon.
A relatively late bloomer, he has been marked out as one to watch since switching from winger to centre-forward and this season he has played in a front two alongside Victor Adeboyejo. He started out on the books of Blackpool but dropped into non-league through the early stages of his career.
Neil, who favours a 4-3-3, has sanctioned the sale of Jacob Brown to Luton Town this month and has Wesley, Ryan Mmaee, Andre Vigidal, Chiquinho, Tyrese Campbell and Dwight Gayle in his attack, as well as hot prospects Emre Tezgel and Nathan Lowe.
Bolton have lost loanees keeper James Trafford and right-back Conor Bradley from last season while Bristol City have weighed in with a bid of about £1m for midfielder George Thomason.
Bolton boss Ian Evatt said recently : “There is always room for improvement. Dion scored 20 goals last season but he is hungry for more.
“I still think there are parts of his game that he can polish – in particular, the way he connects and combines with people, his reliability with possession. But he is a threat, he is a handful. I was a centre-back and I certainly wouldn’t want to play against him!”
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According to The Bolton News, the Robins have submitted a £1 million offer for George Thomason.
The League One side have yet to accept or reject this bid for the playmaker, with the club undecided over Thomason’s future.
City are currently exploring their options as they seek replacements for Alex Scott, following his £25 million departure from Ashton Gate.
The Championship club have set their sights on the Bolton midfielder ahead of the 1 September transfer deadline.
The 22-year-old has featured as a substitute in both of Bolton’s league games so far this season.
The midfielder has been with the League One side since 2020, having spent two stints on loan with Bamber Bridge in the early stages of his time with the Whites.
He made 20 league appearances in Iav Evatt’s side last season, including 13 starts, contributing two assists as the team finished fifth in the table.
Thomason has been a solid squad player for Bolton in recent years, but Evatt believes that he could become a regular starter in the team.
The £1 million figure submitted by City, which also includes several bonuses, is seen as enough to complete a deal, but the League One side are weighing up whether to hold onto the player regardless.
Bolton are understood to be contemplating keeping Thomason as they see him as a player with the potential to improve even further at a League One level.
A decision is expected in the next day, as City hope to wrap up a deal for the midfielder quickly.
City have been linked with a number of moves following Scott’s big-money departure last week.
The Championship side are thought to be leading the race for Irish youngster Adam Murphy.
It has also been reported that the Robins are considering a move for Oxford United’s Cametron Brannagan, as they look to bolster their midfield options.
City are aiming to compete in the top half of the Championship table this campaign after a positive 14th place finish last year.
Pearson’s side have earned four points from their opening two league fixtures, a draw at home to Preston North End and an away win over Millwall.
City appear to be chasing a number of alternatives to Scott, rather than going all in on signing one big name to replace him.
This is an interesting strategy that could pay off quite well.
Thomason doesn’t currently look ready for regular game time in the Championship, but a £1 million price tag makes him a low-risk addition to the squad.
If he were the only player coming in for Scott then it would be a worrying sign, but if City can complete moves for Brannagan and Murphy then they’ll have added a number of options that all have the possibility to become quite lucrative if they can live up to their potential.
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