Trotters set for record deal
21 Jun 2008 - 12:58:32
Bolton Wanderers chairman Phil Gartside has revealed that the Trotters are close to completing the club record signing of a new striker.
The current record fee paid by Wanderers was £8million for Nicolas Anelka in 2006, but Gartside is ready to sanction an even bigger deal in a bid to avoid another relegation scrap.
He told the Bolton News: "We intend on strengthening the team this summer with some serious purchases.
"We've already put one to bed last week and we intend on putting the other, a striker, to bed within a week to ten days, which would be a club record transfer fee."
St Etienne's France striker Bafetimbi Gomis and Sweden forward Johan Elmander of Toulouse have both been linked with Bolton in recent weeks.
Meanwhile, Gartside has rejected talk of goalkeeper Ali Al-Habsi leaving the club this summer by buying out the last year of his current contract.
He added: "In order to buy out the remaining year of his contract he would have had to have served the club prior notice of his intentions within 14 days of the last match of the season.
"There has been no notice served in that time-frame and no indication that Ali wants a move."
