Why would Stoke or Watford want to sign Bolton Wanderers' Dion Charles? | OneFootball

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As the summer transfer window approaches its final fortnight, there are plenty of deals still to be done across the Football League.

One player who looks as though he could be the focus of some significant speculation between now and the window closing at the end of August, is Bolton Wanderers striker Dion Charles.

According to recent reports from TEAMTalk, Championship duo Watford and Stoke City are both interested in signing the 27-year-old, as they look to bolster their squads in the next couple of weeks.

But just why might those sides be targeting Charles in particular in what remains of the market?

Here, we've taken a look at some of the attributes the Bolton man possesses, that might explain why Watford and Stoke would be keen to secure his services for the rest of this season, and beyond.

The first, and perhaps most obvious thing that is going to attract any club to a striker such as Charles, is his goalscoring record.

Last season, the 27-year-old scored 17 goals in 44 league games to help Bolton to the League One play-offs, where they ultimately missed out on promotion after defeat to Barnsley in the semi-finals.

Despite that disappointment, Charles has started this season in promising form, netting his first two goals of the campaign in the Trotters' 3-0 win away at Cheltenham on Saturday, that puts his side top of the early League One standings.

As a result, that consistent and reliable return of goals is something that will appeal to other sides, and could be particularly important to Watford and Stoke in particular.

The Hornets have seen a number of attacking outlets depart the club this summer, including the likes of Joao Pedro, Ismaila Sarr and Britt Assombalonga.

Stoke have also goals from their attack, with Jacob Brown having recently been sold to newly promoted Premier League side Luton Town.

Consequently, both sides could benefit from some extra options upfront, and the fact Charles has shown that he can regularly find the net, makes him an appealing option to fill that role.

It should be noted that with 13 senior caps and two goals for Northern Ireland, the striker also has experience of high-pressure matches on the international stage, with the fact he is capable of performing in such situations another aspect of his career so far that could appeal to the likes of Watford and Stoke.

Meanwhile, at 27-years-old, Charles ought to be at the peak of his career, and should still have several years at that sort of level, meaning he could be a reliable long-term investment for one of these Championship clubs, with some promising resale potential should he continue to make the sort of progress he has in rising up from the non-league game on to Accrington, and then Bolton.

Indeed, that chance to take the next step in his career and test himself in the Championship - which would likely aid his cause on the international stage as well - could appeal to Charles as well.

That in turn could boost Watford and Stoke's prospects as they look to get a deal done here, should the striker be keen to make this move, meaning there does seem to be a number of reasons why this a deal worth pursuing for these two Championship clubs.