Bolton Wanderers told to sign £8k-a-week star who "has worked with Steven Schumacher" | OneFootball

Niall Ennis has been picked out as the Trotters' main target for the summer window

This article is part of Football League World's 'Terrace Talk' series, which provides personal opinions from our FLW Fan Pundits regarding the latest breaking news, teams, players, managers, potential signings and more...

Bolton Wanderers have been told to prioritise the signing of Stoke City striker Niall Ennis this summer following his impressive loan spell at fellow League One side Blackpool over the last few months, as well as due to his close relationship with Trotters boss Steven Schumacher.

Ennis joined Blackpool in the January transfer window on loan from the Potters, and proved himself as one of the best strikers in the third-tier in the second-half of the season at Bloomfield Road.

He is now set to leave Stoke for good this summer, following reports that Mark Robins has sanctioned his departure, and a host of League One clubs are bound to be chasing his services.

Bolton are likely to be one of those clubs, given their real need for a prolific striker to boost them up the table next season, and they could be in a strong position to seal a deal due to Schumacher's past history with the 25-year-old.

Bolton fan pundit issues Niall Ennis transfer demand - he should be their 'number one priority'

Ennis moved to Stoke from Blackburn Rovers in January 2024, as he linked back up with Schumacher, who managed him to third-tier promotion at Plymouth Argyle, in the hope of reviving his career in the second-tier.

The £8k-a-week star has netted just once in 14 league games in his first six months though, as he played a peripheral role in their Championship survival, and was pushed even further down the pecking order at the start of the 2024/25 season due to new forward arrivals and Schumacher's surprise September departure.

New boss Mark Robins allowed him to exit on loan in the winter, and his spell at Blackpool proved to be a massively successful one as he registered seven goals and two assists in 19 League One appearances while also winning the division's Player of the Month award for February.

The Potters have now reportedly made him available for transfer, with one year left on his contract, after Football League World exclusively revealed at the start of the month that Bolton had joined both Blackpool and Wigan Athletic in the race for his signature.

FLW's Trotters fan pundit, Liam O'Meara, has picked out Ennis as the main signing that his club needs to make in the coming months to boost their chances of success next term, after we asked him to name a player who should be a priority to bring in this summer.

“I think one realistic signing has to be Niall Ennis. He has got previous, he has worked with Steven Schumacher at Plymouth and Stoke as well,” Liam told FLW.

“I know (Stoke) wasn’t as fruitful for him, but he was an absolute menace in the game we played away at Blackpool, where he has had a really good loan this year, scoring one in three in a team that didn’t make the play-offs.

“He is a presence up-front, a genuine striker, which is something that we are really lacking at the moment.

“He’s been successful at this level before. For me, it is an absolute must, and Stoke City apparently have made him available for transfer.

“We should absolutely be looking at Niall Ennis. Number one priority.”

Bolton will face tough competition for Ennis' services - Schumacher could hold the key to winning the chase

While he has struggled to transfer his talents to the Championship over the last few years, Ennis is clearly a striker who knows how to unlock League One defences, and his goals could be worth their weight in gold to a promotion-chasing club come this time next year.

The Wolverhampton-born frontman was a fan-favourite in his time at Plymouth, as he helped fire them to the Championship with 12 goals and six assists in 38 outings in the 2022/23 campaign.

That strong form prompted Blackburn to sign him that same summer, but he failed to make an impact at Ewood Park, and then similar happened at Stoke before his Blackpool spell looks to have brought back some much-needed confidence and sharpness to his game.

Not only are Wigan and the Seasiders keen on his services this summer, alongside Bolton, but fellow third-tier outfit Barnsley were also linked to the 25-year-old prior to his move to Bloomfield Road. It certainly looks as if a long transfer battle could commence to secure his signature in the months to come.

Bolton will be buoyed by the fact that Ennis previously insisted that he played his best football of his career under ex-Argyle head-coach and current Wanderers boss Schumacher, which could stand them in good stead for a move.

Wherever Ennis does end up in League One, he is sure to score goals so long as he is provided with ample service and a manager that believes in his abilities. Bolton will fancy their chances of a deal, but will need to cough up a decent fee to sign him with a year still left to run on his Potters contract.