"He could 100% step up" - Transfer claim issued on Bolton Wanderers player | OneFootball

This article is part of Football League World's 'Terrace Talk' series, which provides personal opinions from our FLW Fan Pundits regarding the latest breaking news, teams, players, managers, potential signings and more…

Having made his way up from non-league to the EFL, Bolton Wanderers midfielder George Thomason was the subject of transfer speculation last summer from the Championship.

It was reported that Bristol City made an offer in the region of £1 million for the 22-year-old last August, and Wanderers were open to letting him depart if Thomason wanted to move.

However, the engine room operator opted to remain with the Trotters instead, where he has grown in importance over the course of the season.

Thomason has featured 32 times for Ian Evatt’s side this campaign, with the team chasing automatic promotion to the Championship.

However, failure for the Greater Manchester outfit to earn a place in the second tier could raise questions over his long-term future with the Whites amid interest in him last summer.

Bolton Wanderers fan pundit issues verdict on George Thomason's future

FLW’sBolton fan pundit Oliver Jaques believes failure to gain promotion could cost the club one of their best players.

He has claimed that Thomason will be ready for the step up to the Championship next year, whichever team he is competing with.

“Definitely, with George Thomason I think we do need to go up this season, but that’s another debate, another story,” Jaques told Football League World.

“People don’t make £1 million bids without substance, and aside from the discipline issues and the games he’s missed through suspension, he’s undoubtedly one of our best players this season, I’d say top five.

“The potential is definitely there, he could 100 per cent step up to the Championship.

“There’s a few things he still needs to tweak but he’s a young lad, he’s only in his early 20\s, so I would expect by his mid-to-late 20's he’ll be an established Championship player at the very least.”

George Thomason's importance to Bolton Wanderers

Thomason has contributed six goals and three assists for Bolton in their bid for promotion back to the second tier.

The club has been outside of the Championship since suffering relegation in 2019, but could make a return with a top two finish in League One this campaign.

Evatt’s side currently sit third in the table, but hold a game in hand on second place Derby County.

The gap to the top two is just four points, with seven games remaining in the term.

Bolton have a 12-point gap to the chasing pack outside of the play-offs, so should be assured of a position inside the top six if they do miss out on automatic promotion.

George Thomason is ready for the Championship - with or without Bolton Wanderers

The fact that Thomason was attracting interest last summer surely means he will have a number of suitors if the club fails to go up in the current campaign.

Thomason has been a key figure for Evatt’s side, and is the fourth top scorer in the squad from midfield, and he has developed at a rate of knots since his move from non-league Longridge Town in 2020.

The decision to stay at Bolton has worked out well, as he has managed to develop his game and become a better player by staying in League One, whereas game time could have been more limited at Ashton Gate.