What Bolton Wanderers boss Steven Schumacher has said on Aaron Collins, MK Dons transfer - he is "excited" | OneFootball

A look at what Steven Schumacher has had to say on Aaron Collins' now completed move from Bolton Wanderers to Milton Keynes Dons.

In a surprise move that had been mooted but has now been confirmed, Milton Keynes Dons have announced the signing of attacker Aaron Collins from Bolton Wanderers.

The 28-year-old Welshman joined the Trotters for a fee believed to be in the region of £750,000 in the winter transfer window of 2024, and he had established himself as a key man at the back end of that season as Bolton missed out on automatic promotion on the final day of the season before then losing the League One play-off final.

Bolton majorly dipped last year and finished in an underwhelming eighth place, with Steven Schumacher replacing Ian Evatt mid-way through the campaign – and Collins’ performances often drew a lot of criticism from supporters.

Despite that, the 2022/23 League One Player of the Year still managed to score 19 goals across all competitions for the club and it has to be viewed as a major coup by Paul Warne and MK Dons to lure him down to the fourth-tier.

Steven Schumacher, though, has said that he believes the deal is a good one for the Whites and leaves them in a good position to further reconstruct and reshape their squad.

Steven Schumacher issues Aaron Collins but believes Bolton Wanderers have a good deal

The former Plymouth Argyle boss still stuck by Collins for much of the first few months of his reign at the back end of last season, but he has been keen to suggest it is a deal that will work out for the club:

“Firstly, on behalf of everyone at the club, I want to thank Aaron for his contribution, particularly last season. He leaves with out very best wishes for the future.

“However, as we continue to actively reshape this squad to create a more dynamic and robust team for the campaign ahead, opportunities can arise that are in the best long-term interests of the football club.

"We received an offer from MK Dons that we believe represents fair value for the player and which allows us to accelerate our recruitment plans.”

Schumacher went on to discuss his excitement for the future and what the deal could allow Wanderers to do moving forward.

“This decision is a key part of our wider strategy, which is focused on building a team with the specific attributes required to drive standards and achieve our ambition," Schumacher added.

“With the recent arrivals already adding to the group, and with more work still being done, we are moving decisively to build a squad that fully embraces the philosophy we are building here at Bolton Wanderers.

“We are excited about the direction we are heading.”

Aaron Collins transfer suits all parties - especially Bolton Wanderers

That line from Schumacher with regards to building a squad that ‘fully embraces the philosophy’ may well be quite telling, as a lot of those criticisms from supporters about Collins came as a result of his supposed attitude on the pitch.

Blessed with undoubted quality that still shone through with goals last season, Collins’ overall performance level and often frustrating tendency to remain on the periphery of pretty much every big moment has left the majority of Bolton fans almost apathetic towards his departure.

That said, though, the quality he possesses means he will surely thrive in League Two and his overall ability to be a difference maker in a likely rigid but well organised and difficult to beat Paul Warne side may well see him thrive.

It is a coup for MK Dons to pull the Collins signing off because even if his departure from Bolton may well have been instigated by the selling club, it will still be quite a surprise to see someone of his technical ability plying his trade in League Two.

Collins’ first few months as a Bolton player promised so much but his career at the Toughsheet Community Stadium ends with him delivering relatively little in the context of ‘what could have been’.