Bolton Wanderers are set to seal a transfer for David Watson months after lodging a six-figure bid for the midfielder.
The Trotters were believed to have tabled a substantial £500,000 offer to Scottish Premiership side Kilmarnock for the 21-year-old on Deadline Day, but were knocked back due to Watson being viewed as a key part of their survival bid.
They faced competition on the day from Aberdeen, who instead lined up a pre-contract agreement for the Scottish youth international with a view to recruiting him at the end of the campaign.
Wanderers Triumph In Hunt
Now, according to the Daily Record, Bolton have now sealed an agreement with Watson, who will move to Lancashire upon the expiration of his contract at Rugby Park at the end of this week.
It is believed that due to it being a cross-border transfer, the compensation fee that Kilmarnock will receive would be much lower than that of a deal with another Scottish side like the Dons.
The report also states that clubs from across Europe were in the mix to try and sign the versatile midfielder, with unnamed sides in Scotland, Italy and elsewhere in England also pursuing a free agency agreement.
Watson played 41 times for Killie in their bid to beat the drop, which ended in success after finishing in 10th place, six points above League Cup winners St. Mirren, who contested and won the relegation playoff against Partick Thistle.
He heads to the Trotters as Steven Schumacher’s side ascend into the Championship following their Play-Off Final victory over Greater Manchester rivals Stockport County, ending an eight-year exodus from the second tier.
Restructuring Needed At Wanderers
While there has been some success from promoted sides in recent seasons when it comes to achieving survival in their first season, those teams have had to move fast and aggressively in the transfer window in order to better their chances.
Bolton Wanderers will be no different, and perhaps have a lot more work to do than their peers in Cardiff City and Lincoln City in losing their best players before the window even opens.
Their player of the season Amario Cozier-Duberry is subject to a transfer war this summer, which may inhibit the Trotters’ chances in sealing a second loan deal for the winger, while Johnny Kenny looks set to reject a return to the club in order to try and make the grade at Celtic.
They have already begun to put new pieces into place before the window opens and David Watson will be part of that puzzle in a position the club already have a lot of competition in.
Xavier Simons, club captain Josh Sheehan and Ethan Erhahon have been good options in the holding midfield role, while Ruben Rodrigues will offer some Championship experience through his time at Oxford United.
Watson will offer a lot of flexibility and versatility to Steven Schumacher’s ranks, being able to play anywhere and in any role in the midfield, and at 21 will only have room to grow in the coming years.
Signing him at a cheaper deal than many of their competitors will have been able to do so means this is a very solid piece of business, which could pay dividends should they opt to sell him on in the coming years.
