Bolton Wanderers could look to Ipswich Town to bolster midfield ranks: View | OneFootball

Bolton Wanderers are hoping for a busy end to the January transfer window.

Bolton Wanderers eye three January deals

Ian Evatt's transfer business is yet to kick into action, with Swansea City's Nathanael Ogbeta the solitary recruit to date.

Blackburn Rovers' Niall Ennis appeared to be closing in on a move, however, according to The Sun's Alan Nixon (via his Patreon), a £500,000 loan-to-buy agreement has proven to be a stumbling block.

With the automatic promotion race heating up, Bolton need to strengthen before Thursday's deadline.

Nixon has previously alluded to another central defender and midfielder arriving, and Ipswich Town's Cameron Humphreys could be the man to turn to.

Cameron Humphreys could be the answer

The Trotters' 3-5-2 formation has been the cornerstone of their success during the 2023/24 season.

Josh Sheehan, Kyle Dempsey and Edmond-Paris Maghoma started the 4-1 win over Carlisle United in a formidable centre-piece of Evatt's side.

Along with George Thomason and Aaron Morely, the Bolton boss has five excellent central midfield options at his disposal. However, with three starting each fixture, potentially adding one more player would be an astute move. With Wanderers two points behind league-leaders Portsmouth having played two games less, the games are set to come thick and fast.

Town's Humphreys has emerged through the Portman Road ranks and has received plenty of praise since breaking into Kieran McKenna's squad.

However, just two Championship appearances could potentially see the 20-year-old seek a loan exit.

For Wanderers, inquiring about Humphreys' availability could be a viable option. He featured 17 times during Ipswich's promotion-winning campaign in 2022/23 and could be well-suited should Evatt look to rotate his midfield trio.

Cameron Humphreys should leave Ipswich Town

To date, there has been no indication of Ipswich allowing Humphreys to depart on loan. His versatility means he can also provide left-back cover, which could be why he is being kept at Portman Road.

However, according to the East Anglian Daily Times, McKenna is eyeing Samsunspor left-back Marc Bola. Should the former Middlesbrough full-back return to England, Humphreys' loan exit could be sanctioned.

Despite the lack of first-team opportunities, the 20-year-old has stated he is happy at Portman Road.

"We’ll have to see if anything comes up, but at the minute, I’m really happy training here. When I get the opportunity, I’ll try to show what I can do on the pitch," he told The Ipswich Star.

For Humphreys, looking to gain further experience will be vital. Making the move to a League One side who are in the midst of an extremely close promotion battle could prove to be invaluable.

If Ipswich do land another left-back, allowing him to depart will benefit all parties. Bolton would be gaining a versatile midfielder who can operate centrally and in the left-back role.

If he did depart, there's every chance of the youngster playing an important part in a promotion push and return to be an important cog in McKenna's plans in the future.