How much Bolton Wanderers may have to pay Preston North End star Will Keane in wages | OneFootball

Bolton Wanderers have been linked with a potential move for Will Keane this summer

Bolton Wanderers have been linked with a move for Preston North End forward Will Keane.

It has been reported by Alan Nixon that the striker could be making the switch to Whites amid some uncertainty over his future at Deepdale.

According to The Bolton News, the 32-year-old is not a top priority for the League One side, but is on their shortlist of possible options this summer.

Steven Schumacher will be keen to bolster his squad before the market shuts, with the club eyeing promotion to the Championship this campaign.

Here we use estimated figures from Capology to analyse how much Bolton may need to pay Keane in wages to get a deal over the line…

Will Keane’s Preston wages

Keane made the switch to Preston in the 2023 summer transfer window, leaving Wigan Athletic after the Latics suffered relegation to League One.

The forward had scored 12 times in the Championship, but the club were unable to survive in the second division, coming bottom of the table.

He joined the Lilywhites and has a contract until the summer of 2026, which is worth £6,000 per week.

He is paid more than the average player in the current Preston squad, with that amounting to £5,923-a-week.

However, he is not in the top range of high earners in Paul Heckingbottom’s squad, with the likes of Liam Lindsay, Ali McCann and Robbie Brady in the top three.

Lindsay and McCann both earn £15,000 per week from Preston, while Brady’s contract sees him paid £13,500-a-week by the Lancashire outfit.

Heckingbottom’s side ranks 20th in the Championship for their total payroll among all the clubs competing in the Championship next season.

They pay £148,077 per week to their players, with the club hoping to improve on their 20th place finish in the table last season.

Meanwhile, Bolton will be eyeing promotion to the Championship, having suffered a disappointing decline to eighth in the standings.

Bolton Wanderers' total salary spend

Bolton’s total weekly salary going into the new League One season is currently £98,712, which is smaller than the lowest Championship wage bill.

Their average weekly wages amounts to roughly £4,900 per week, meaning any deal for Keane could allow them to pay close to his £6,000 per week figure from Preston.

However, he would likely become one of their top earners, which may not be a move they want to make at this stage.

The Whites will want to maintain a healthy spending balance, and bringing in a 32-year-old forward who is coming off the back of an underwhelming goal-scoring run in the Championship at a high wage might not be the wisest use of their resources.

Bolton have until 1 September to conclude any remaining transfer business for this summer, giving them time to play a few games of the new season before making any final decisions on possible incomings.