Bolton Wanderers should plot bold move for £14k-a-week Middlesbrough forward | OneFootball

Bolton Wanderers should make an ambitious swoop to sign Middlesbrough striker Marcus Forss.

Bolton Wanderers have built a reasonably impressive squad after a major overhaul this summer, but Steven Schumacher shouldn’t be satisfied yet, and the Trotters should plot an ambitious coup to bring in Middlesbrough striker Marcus Forss this summer.

Bolton went into the summer with Schumacher having warned supporters there wouldn’t be much scope for a major clear out of an underperforming squad, due to the amount of players under contract.

However, that didn’t prevent key players such as Nathan Baxter, Ricardo Santos and Gethin Jones leaving at the end of their deals, with George Thomason, Luke Southwood, Aaron Collins and Klaidi Lolos sold on over the summer.

The Whites have brought in several new signings but they are unlikely to be finished just yet and, with Victor Adeboyejo still injured for a while, Schumacher will be keen on reinforcing the final third one final time, as he has said he wants different profiles of striker up-front.

Sam Dalby and Mason Burstow have come through the door at the Toughsheet Community Stadium, but room for one more ambitious signing in Marcus Forss should be there.

Bolton should force through a move for Forss

In their opening matches of the campaign, as was often the case under the management of previous boss Ian Evatt, Bolton have created chances with slick and cohesive patterns of play, however, they have often been let down in the final third by finishing.

Mason Burstow has shown good all-round quality, and he has already notched this season with the second goal in Wanderers’ 2-0 defeat of Plymouth Argyle in their first home game of the campaign.

Sam Dalby has missed the start of the season through injury and Bolton have seemingly missed out on a move for Celtic striker Johnny Kenny, after the Irishman signed a new contract at Celtic Park.

Marcus Forss, who earns £14k-a-week at Boro, has had an underwhelming career as a Championship player, following a breakthrough loan stint at AFC Wimbledon back in the 2019/20 season.

During that curtailed campaign, Forss notched 11 goals in 18 appearances for Wimbledon in League One, earning him a more regular spot in Brentford’s Championship squad the following campaign.

He scored seven goals in 39 second-tier appearances for the Bees, mainly from off the bench, highlighting his goal scoring instincts, and has played seven times in the Premier League.

However, after an underwhelming loan spell at Hull City, he joined Middlesbrough in the summer of 2022, and, after just about hitting double figures in his first campaign for ‘Boro, he has gone on to score just eight goals in his next 49 appearances for the Smoggies across all competitions with his ‘fox in the box’ striking style not necessarily suited to a role that is a bit more all-action for Michael Carrick and now Rob Edwards.

Pragmatic Schumacher wants attacking variety at Bolton

Unlike his predecessor Evatt, Schumacher has shown a much-needed pragmatism and variety to his style at Bolton, and that is going to extend to the way in which he deploys his strikers.

Burstow is a player who can hold up the ball but also run in behind into the channels, whilst Dalby is again a more physical player with a tendency to just grapple with the centre-backs, rather than link the play like Burstow.

Someone who is simply there to finish the chances that are created from their now abundance of wide options is required, and Forss falls into that category.

It would certainly be an ambitious move from Bolton to sign the Finland international, who has decent pedigree, but after failing to sign Kenny, there is surely scope for an eye-catching move in the striking department for Wanderers.