Peterborough United arrival could spell trouble for Bolton Wanderers attacker: View | OneFootball

Bolton Wanderers signing Joel Randall could spell bad news for Carlos Mendes Gomes.

Bolton Wanderers will be eager to right the wrongs of the 2023/24 season in the new League One campaign.

The Trotters came ever so close to returning to the Championship, but they fell at the final hurdle, as they were beaten by Oxford United in the play-off final.

That result would have been hugely disappointing for the Lancashire side, as they were favourites to go up. But that is behind them now, so Ian Evatt and co. will be keen to put that right by taking that next step this time around.

League One is going to be a competitive league this season, so it is not given that Bolton will be at the top end of the table.

Therefore, Evatt will likely want to strengthen his side over the course of these coming weeks to avoid a repeat of last season.

It has been fairly quiet for Bolton so far this summer, but things could be about to heat up as the club is potentially looking to sign Joel Randell from a League One rival.

According to Football Insider, Bolton Wanderers have seen a six-figure offer rejected by Peterborough United for Joel Randall.

The report doesn’t say how much the exact figure was, but it adds that the Trotters are planning a second and improved offer for the midfielder as they try to test Peterborough’s resolve.

Randall has been with Peterborough United since August 2021, when he joined the club from Exeter City.

The 24-year-old was a standout player for the Grecians, and last season he became one of Posh’s standout performers.

The Peterborough midfielder has only one year remaining on his contract, and with no new deal on the table as things stand, Bolton are looking to weaken their League One rivals.

This could be an exciting signing for the Trotters, but his potential arrival will have one or two current Bolton players worried, especially Carlos Mendes Gomes.

Bolton will know that this summer is a time for them to further strengthen their bid for promotion rather than weaken it.

Therefore, it isn’t a surprise to see the club chasing after signings, with Joel Randall being an ambitious approach from the club, as Peterborough are a league rival.

However, the Trotters obviously have watched the development of Randall and feel he will improve their team, while also weakening a potential play-off rival.

Randall would be an impressive addition for Bolton, as the player has proven to be very good at this level, and he seems the type of player to fit into this Bolton side that loves to play attacking football.

However, as one new player potentially arrives, it is likely going to mean bad news for another, and in this case, Carlos Mendes Gomes could be on the wrong end of this deal.

The Lancashire side bought the 25-year-old from Luton Town last summer, ending his two-year stay with the Hatters after joining them from Morecambe.

The winger spent the 2022/23 season on loan at Fleetwood Town, and his performances for the Cod Army seemed to persuade Bolton to sign him last summer.

It was an exciting addition for the Trotters, but his first campaign at the club didn’t go to plan, as he only appeared 16 times in the league, during which he scored just twice.

Mendes Gomes missed a lot of the campaign through injury, but when he was available, he didn't start as many games as he would have expected.

The Bolton attacker started just three of the 16 games he played in League One, averaging 26 minutes on the pitch per game.

Mendes Gomes’ impact at the top end of the pitch was very minimal, as he averaged just 0.9 shots per game. He also missed two big chances, and he was averaging a goal 0.1 times per game.

The 25-year-old was also unable to create chances for any of his teammates, and he also failed to make any key passes, all of which meant he didn’t record any assists, as per Sofascore.com.

It was a very disappointing first season at the Toughsheet Community Stadium for Mendes Gomes, and with how Evatt likes to set up his Bolton team, he may find it even more difficult this season.

That is because if Randall does join Bolton, he will likely operate in the number 10 role or possibly in a wing-back role, which means that Mendes Gomes could be pushed further down the pecking order this season.