Bolton Wanderers is ideal landing spot for Preston & Middlesbrough target despite League One status | OneFootball

Despite interest from Middlesbrough and Preston North End, Salford City winger Kelly N'Mai should opt for a move to Bolton Wanderers this summer.

Salford City’s 2024/25 Player of the Season Kelly N’Mai is the subject of interest from several clubs, but Bolton Wanderers would have to be viewed as the standout destination for the Dutchman.

As exclusively revealed by the Football League World, Championship duo Middlesbrough and Preston North End have enquired over the potential signing of N’Mai this summer.

It has also been suggested that Bolton Wanderers are interested in the 21-year-old, with Steven Schumacher remaining coy when quizzed about the Trotters’ potential interest.

N’Mai enjoyed an impressive campaign for the Ammies as they missed out on a top-seven finish and a play-off place in League Two on the final day of the campaign, with the former Chester loanee the star man for Karl Robinson’s side.

Albeit both Boro and Preston can offer Championship football to the youngster, it would surely be the more sensible move to take a gradual step-up to League One and move to Bolton.

Continuing his development at Bolton

The thing that N’Mai needs first and foremost is regular minutes and that is something he can be guaranteed of at the Toughsheet Community Stadium, becoming paramount to what Schumacher will hope will be a promotion challenging campaign.

Schumacher has already discussed his and Bolton’s desire to recruit for a different shape this summer and that means an emphasis on width, with Wanderers almost exclusively playing a back five in the last few years under Ian Evatt – leaving their squad bereft of any real wide options.

N’Mai would arrive at Bolton and almost immediately be viewed as a guaranteed starter in the new-look Whites side and a gradual step up from League Two to playing regularly for a League One promotion challenger would appear the most sensible step.

Schumacher’s style of football can also help players such as N’Mai, with a more ‘off-the-cuff’ style of football and almost ‘gung-ho’ approach, particularly at home, allowing players to play with the shackles off – and that is something that would also suit N’Mai.

Having had trials at both Manchester City and Manchester United before signing a professional deal for Salford City, Wanderers also represents more of a local move for N’Mai, especially in comparison to Middlesbrough, and at the age of 21, perhaps that would also help keep his feet on the ground to focus his development even more.

Uncertainty at Middlesbrough & Preston

Both Middlesbrough and Preston had difficult ends to last season, with Boro missing out on a play-off place in the Championship and the latter staving off relegation on the final day of the campaign.

Boro are starting life with a new manager, too, following the departure of Michael Carrick, whilst Paul Heckingbottom will surely begin next season immediately under pressure at Deepdale.

The future for both sides seems a little uncertain with question marks over the ambitions of both for next season, let alone how they want their squad to look.

The question marks over squad composition can also be labelled at Wanderers, but one thing that is for certain is what their intent is – and that is to finally gain promotion back to the second-tier.