With pre-season on the horizon, the list of clubs circling to sign Irish young gun Luca Connell seems to be growing day by day.
The club taking the most interest appears to be Neil Lennon’s Celtic and Bolton could well have a bidding war on their hands before long.
However, with the meagre squad currently on the books at Bolton and with the impressive potential Connell has shown, it would be wise for Wanderers to do all they can to keep the 18-year-old.
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Connell has been reported saying that it would be ‘an honour’ to play for the Scottish giants. But, it is believed that he would prefer to be playing first-team football wherever he ends up.
Hopefully, for Wanderers fans, that’ll mean that Connell sticks it out with his boyhood club.
But with at least eight clubs reportedly monitoring the young Irishman, Bolton have a tough job on their hands to keep hold of the promising midfielder.
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If Bolton were somehow able to persuade Connell to stay, it could prove to be a huge boost to a club whose best talent has always been sold off in recent years.
At such a young age, Connell would be the perfect candidate to build a team round for the next decade.
However, judging by Bolton’s previous transfer policy, if an offer comes in that’s deemed acceptable, Connell’s days at the UniBol could well be numbered.
UPDATE:
Luca Connell has this afternoon been pictured on a tour of Celtic Park. It looks ominously like he’ll be joining Neil Lennon’s side in the foreseeable future.
