Bolton Wanderers should forget Ravel Morrison and target ex-Preston man: View | OneFootball

Bolton Wanderers should forget Ravel Morrison and target ex-Preston man: View | OneFootball

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Football League World

·27 February 2024

Bolton Wanderers should forget Ravel Morrison and target ex-Preston man: View

Article image:Bolton Wanderers should forget Ravel Morrison and target ex-Preston man: View

The football season is about to go into the month of March, and Bolton Wanderers are potentially still looking to improve their squad for the remainder of the campaign.

It has been another impressive season for the Trotters, as they have been one of the standout performers in the league, along with Portsmouth and Derby County.


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Bolton were labelled one of the favourites for promotion at the start of the season, and so far, it is a billing they have lived up to.

The club has been largely active in both transfer windows they have had this season, but it seems they may still be looking to add to their squad as they enter the crucial stage of the campaign.

Article image:Bolton Wanderers should forget Ravel Morrison and target ex-Preston man: View

It has been reported by TEAMtalk, Bolton Wanderers are among a few English sides interested in signing free agent Ravel Morrison.

The report states that, in addition to the Trotters being interested, Sheffield Wednesday and Peterborough United are also keen on the midfielder.

The 31-year-old is a free agent after leaving MLS side DC United at the start of this year after joining the club in the summer of 2022, following the arrival of former Derby County manager Wayne Rooney.

The report states that the midfielder is keen to get back to playing football and now has interest from these three EFL sides.

Bolton may be wiser looking at ex-Preston North End midfielder Josh Onomah.

Article image:Bolton Wanderers should forget Ravel Morrison and target ex-Preston man: View

Former Preston midfielder Josh Onomah has been without a club since leaving the Lilywhites last summer.

The 26-year-old joined the club on a free transfer in January of last year and stayed with the Lancashire side for the final six months of last season.

But Onomah has struggled to get back into the game. However, with the Trotters potentially looking to sign Morrison, Onomah could be a better choice for the League One side.

Onomah is someone that Bolton fans may be aware of, as it was reported in January by Alan Nixon, that they were interested in signing the midfielder, after him being on trial at the club.

However, that was later denied by The Bolton News, who stated that the Trotters were looking to improve their squad but weren’t interested in Onomah.

But with the news emerging about Morrison, Bolton could be very wise in ending that interest and looking at Onomah, who has proved to be a very good addition for Championship sides recently.

The midfielder has never played in League One before, but his experience in the Championship puts him in a great position to adapt to the league and then potentially be a good option should they get promoted this season.

In the second tier, Onomah has started 62 of the 112 games he has played, averaging 64.5 minutes per game. In the five seasons, the 26-year-old has scored eight goals, which is better than his xG of 5.4, as per Fbref.com.

Onomah was averaging 0.12 goals per game in the Championship, while he was performing much better when it came to assists. The midfielder has collected 13, which again is better than his xA of 4.0, while he averages one every 0.20 times per 90 minutes.

Furthermore, the ex-Preston man has proven his ability on the ball, which would suit Bolton, given how manager Ian Evatt likes his team to play when in possession. Onomah has completed 1509 passes out of the 1864 he has attempted during his time in the Championship, meaning his completion rate is 81.0%, as per Fbref.com.

Obviously, these stats are looking at more of his time in the Championship, but Onomah still has a lot to offer, and given his quality, there shouldn’t be a problem with him dropping down to the Championship.

Morrison is a very risky signing, as even though he is a free agent, there is a lot of baggage with the player, and Bolton need to be wary about upsetting the squad as it is. But adding Onomah would bring not only proven quality but also experience, and he could be a great signing not only for what remains this season but for the next campaign when they could be in the Championship.

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