Bolton Wanderers set to raise stakes in transfer market (From Leigh Journal)

Bolton Wanderers set to raise stakes in transfer market

12:30am Wednesday 1st July 2009

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WANDERERS are poised to put their recruitment drive into top gear as the transfer window is flung open tomorrow.

Gary Megson is hoping to have the majority of his new signings in place by the time the club travel to Holland to begin their pre-season preparations — so with most staff now back in situ after the summer break, negotiations for key players will be accelerated.

Midfielder Sean Davis is expected to be enjoying his last day as a Portsmouth player today, with Wanderers firmly in the driving seat to pick him up on a free transfer.

Others deals are less cut and dry. Megson has threatened to look elsewhere for a left-back if West Brom do not lower their £1million asking price for Paul Robinson, and the Whites are unlikely to match the £5m asking price Swansea have put on the head of their star Dutch playmaker Ferrie Bodde.

Swans new coach Paulo Sousa waded into what has become a very public transfer process yesterday, accusing the 27-year-old of ‘lacking respect’.

After the club chairman had issued an official statement on Friday afternoon rejecting a £2.5million offer from Wanderers for the former Dutch Under-23 international, it was the Portuguese coach’s turn to air his views as the club returned for training.

Clearly upset that Bodde had stayed behind in the Netherlands to continue rehabilitation work after a serious knee injury, Sousa fumed: “Ferrie is a great player but he needs to be a better professional.

“He needs to have more respect for his colleagues, for the club, for myself and especially for himself as a player and a professional.”

Despite his apparent issues with the midfielder, Sousa insists he still wants Bodde to be a part of his squad.

“We want to see how his knee is after the operation, to integrate him into our squad,” he said.

“We believe Ferrie can play a high standard and we want him playing for us.

“I would welcome him back to be part of our squad, he’s a talented player who can get us our results.

“We want everyone happy and committed at the club... if you don’t have it, you try to find a solution.”

On the striking front, Megson has also identified Kevin Doyle as another target – although the Republic of Ireland international is not short of admirers, with Fulham, Sunderland and Wolves also in the hunt for his signature.

Wanderers have not yet made an official approach for the striker, who is available for £6.5m, but are likely to decide before the end of this week whether to lay down their marker.

Doyle’s Reading team-mate Stephen Hunt and South Korea starlet Lee Chung-Yong are other players whom the Whites have expressed an interest in thus far.

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