Bolton Wanderers Chase £300,000 Attacker
Bolton Wanderers have submitted a £300,000 bid for Luton Town attacker Carlos Mendes Gomes, according to Alan Nixon on his Patreon account.
The Trotters are reportedly confident of landing the talented attacker from the Premier League newcomers. The 24-year-old spent last season on loan at Fleetwood Town in League One, appearing 37 times in all competitions, scoring on nine occasions.
Prior to joining Luton Town he played for Morecambe in League Two, he made 91 appearances for the club scoring 18 goals during his spell at the Mazuma Stadium. The Spanish attacker impressively scored 15 goals in his final season (20/21) before moving for an undisclosed fee in June 2021.
Bolton Wanderers finished the season as play-off semi finalists losing to Barnsley over two legs. With Ian Evatt remaining at the club despite interest from the Championship, it is expected they will be considered one of the favourites for the upcoming season. The proposed signing could be considered a coup, as the player has been linked to several other clubs, but a permanent move for a significant six-figure sum could persuade Luton to allow him to move back to the North West.
Luton are known for their impressive recruitment strategy rarely paying huge fees for talent. With the club entering the Premier League this season the proposed move could free up wages and add a small amount to the transfer kitty in a vital transfer market.
Writer’s View
Carlos Mendes Gomes is a superb player and this is a real statement of intent for Bolton. Should they be able to land the player on a permanent deal should land them in good stead for the new season. League One is much weaker this year, several of the big hitters have been promoted, whilst Wigan Athletic, Reading and Barnsley are all facing charges that could result in all three receiving a points deduction.
Potential Ryan Giles blow for Middlesbrough as Luton Town agree fee with Wolves for full-back
Ryan Giles spent last season on loan at Middlesbrough and was a summer target
Middlesbrough have suffered a potential blow in their summer pursuit of Ryan Giles after Luton Town agreed a fee with Wolves for the influential full-back.
Giles spent last season on loan at Boro from Wolves and proved an incredibly important part of Michael Carrick’s set-up from left-back. Offset by the defensive balance of Tommy Smith on the opposite flank, Giles was given freedom to attack the left wing aggressively and finished the season with 11 assists – the most in a single season for Boro since Adama Traore.
But having missed out on promotion via the play-offs – ultimately won by Luton Town – re-signing Giles was always going to be difficult as Boro looked to rebuild their squad this summer for another assault on earning promotion to Premier League. And Giles was seen as a top target this summer.
Boro had to be patient as Wolves reassessed the 23-year-old on his return to pre-season in the Black Country this summer. And while Boro have been in communication with officials at Wolves, they aren’t understood to have ever agreed a fee with Wolves, something which Luton have now done, it has emerged.
First reported by the Daily Mail, Giles had been originally slated to travel with Wolves on the training camp to Portugal on Saturday, but plans changed on Friday. Giles instead has travelled to Luton where he is now in talks with the newly-promoted Premier League side over a move there this summer.
Giles is understood to have been interested in rejoining Boro this summer, but from the club’s perspective, the financial terms of the deal had to be right, with consideration for the fact that they also need to sign a striker this summer too. Giles is not yet understood to have agreed terms with the Hatters, but the move will present the attacking full-back with his first real opportunity to play regular Premier League football, and so agreeing terms shouldn’t prove difficult.
Boro, meanwhile, had to have alternatives this summer because it would have always been apparent that re-signing Giles wasn’t a guarantee. Exactly where they turn now remains to be seen, but right now, it does appear they’ve missed out on securing a Giles return.
