The WANDERERS hope to cap off a sensational weekend by completing their January recruiting today.
Fresh off the lowly top flight Sunderland 6-0 at UniBol, Ian Evatt will be hoping to bring in Kyle Dempsey from Gillingham as his seventh and final signing of the window.
Wanderers have made a third and final offer for the 26-year-old midfielder and have also indicated what personal terms they would be willing to pay.
But Evatt at least has an option to loan out a central midfielder and has been heavily linked with Swansea City playmaker Yan Dhanda, who would be available until the end of the season.
Speaking after Saturday’s stunning win, Evatt said he was optimistic about his chances of signing Dempsey.
“I’m really hopeful and we’re working extremely hard, but we won’t overpay or overpay anyone,” he told The Bolton News. “We want to do things strategically and sensibly and we will never put this club at risk again, so if they fall into what we think they are worth then we will.
“If not, we’ll move on to someone else.
“You have to be prepared to walk away from this sort of deal and we have now drawn a line in the sand. Everyone knows where it is, so we’ll see how things develop.
Wanderers’ six January additions – Marlon Fossey, Dion Charles, Aaron Morley, James Trafford, Jon Dadi Bodvarsson and Kieran Sadlier – all took part in the biggest ever win at UniBol.
Dapo Afolayan also returned to the team in style, scoring the second goal of the day and setting up another.
Evatt had taken him out of the starting line-up in the last two games but his response – which also included a goal against Ipswich and an assist against Shrewsbury – was exactly what the manager wanted.
“That’s exactly why you do these things,” he said. “Everyone knows what Dapo is capable of, but we also have to remember that this is his first full season in men’s football.
“There are huge expectations on his shoulders and he has suffered as well as the rest of the team over the last two or three months.
“He had a drop in form but he is allowed to do it. There’s no one bigger than the team here, and if anyone needs to rest and let someone else take the pressure off for a while, we’ll do it.
“Dapo came out of the squad but then showed the right attitude. Against Sunderland he showed what he could do, and I thought the way he bonded with Dion Charles was excellent.
