Bolton’s failure to win promotion is going to hugely effect their transfer plans
Ian Evatt has made a frank admission about Bolton Wanderers’ chances of signing Brentford loanee Paris Maghoma permanently this summer, following their defeat to Oxford United in the play-off final.
The past two seasons have felt like disappointments for Bolton. They accumulated 168 points across the 2022/23 and 2023/24 League One campaigns, but both of them ended in play-off disappointment for Evatt’s team.
The first of the two seasons saw them lose in the play-off semi-final to Barnsley across two legs. This year, it was Bolton’s turn to go to Wembley. They beat the Tykes in the semi-finals, lining up a date with Oxford at the home of English football.
Two goals from Josh Murphy and a lacklustre performance later, and the Wanderers fans were staring across to the other side of the stadium, watching the yellow-donned opposition supporters bounce around as they secured their spot in the Championship.
Evatt has been aided by the help of some top talent over the past 730 days, including some temporary stays by young Premier League talents, including Liverpool’s Conor Bradley. He wasn’t enough to get them over the hump the first time, and that was the case the last time too.
Maghoma was one of the more impressive loanees at the Toughsheet Community Stadium in the most recent campaign, but the Bolton boss doesn’t see how they are going to be able to bring him back after their play-off final failure.
Ian Evatt’s frank Paris Maghoma transfer claim
The former Barrow boss believes that his side will not be able to sign the young midfielder because they missed out on promotion to the second tier.
“It is going to be difficult to sign Paris now we are stuck in League One,” Evatt said to the Bolton News. “That is how it is. We are thankful for him, thankful for what he has achieved this season, and we wish him well.”
The 23-year-old was forced off due to injury shortly after the start of the second half against Oxford. Maghoma sent this message to the Wanderers faithful after the loss in the final, via Instagram.
“I’m not sure where to even begin, the game on Saturday has truly broken my heart. We didn’t give you the performance that you deserved. You’ve cheered us on this season, you’ve been our 12th man. You’ve helped us push through and on the most important day, we couldn’t deliver and for that I am sorry.