Bolton Wanderers racing to sign winger for Preston clash

Steven Schumacher is keeping his fingers crossed that a deal for a new winger can be struck by lunchtime and be included in his squad for the all-Lancashire clash.

Bolton have added Ryan Hardie and Lewis Brunt this week – both of whom are in contention – but have lost Xav Simons to suspension and Ruben Rodrigues to injury.

Schumacher insists every effort is being made to add a ninth signing of the summer.

"There’s a couple in, and a couple out from Saturday… so we’re net zero," he smiled.

"We’re not in a stronger position overall, broke even.

"For us to get someone in we know he has to be registered by midday, so whether that’s possible or not I don’t know at the moment.

"I know Fergal (Harkin) is constantly on the phone at the moment, wheeling and dealing, like I'm sure he has to, and which is expected at this part of the season.

"We'll see what happens.

"If we get another one in through the door, brilliant, but if we don't, then we'll go into it with as best a squad as we can and do our best to try and get a result that we want."

Should Wanderers fail to bring in another wide man, Gaizka Larrizabal is expected to be asked to continue the right-wing role he played at Sheffield Wednesday last weekend.

"I thought he did well, to be fair to him," Schumacher said.

"He picked up some really good positions in that little channel where we want our right-back to go into, so we have worked with him a bit this week to make sure he isn’t on the same lines as Luca (Stephenson).

"He will get better at it the more that he does it.

"He's got the quality to play at the top end, he's been an attacking-minded full-back, but as I say, we're just short on wingers, we're ready to start right now.

"Now I know I've got Kylian (Dong) as well, and I think he's going to be a really good player by the way, even when he came on against Sheffield Wednesday when the game opened up, his ability to set up David Watson, he showed glimpses.

"Larra is a senior one, knows what the physicality is of senior men's football, so he'll play, I'm sure, wherever we need him to."

Schumacher also reacted to questions about Wanderers’ interest in KAA Gent striker Max Dean, who has been strongly linked with a move to the Toughsheet Stadium.

It is understood a bid of just over £1m was turned down by the Belgian club last week but that two other Championship sides have since lodged an interest in signing the 22-year-old, and that they are willing to improve on the Whites’ opening offer, and get closer to a rumoured £3.5m asking price.

Schumacher said: "I don't name individuals or names but what does make me laugh is where people get all their information from," he said.

"I had my dad and my wife saying: ‘I believe you're close to doing a striker, aren't you, and he's doing a medical,’ and I was like: ‘Where are you getting this from?’

"He read it on Twitter, so I’d say about 95 per cent of that stuff is not true.

"But to go back to him, we are always interested in good footballers and good players to help us be better.

"It is just where people get stories from, it makes me laugh."

Click here to read article