Wanderers are lining-up a move for Luton Town striker John McAtee after his impressive loan at Barnsley last season.The Bolton News understands that the Luton Town striker is on Ian Evatt’s shortlist after getting no guarantees of regular football in the Championship at Kenilworth Road.
Salford-born McAtee was one of Barnsley’s most consistent performers last term, scoring 13 goals in 40 games. He has yet to make his senior debut for the Hatters, despite sitting on the bench for them in the Premier League.
Wanderers are known to have made two “significant” bids in the past week, and we also understand that Karamoko Dembele – who spent last season on loan with Blackpool – is a key target.
Evatt has already brought in four players this summer but described his squad as “light” at the weekend and is keen to land more heavyweight targets with the start of the season just a few weeks away.
McAtee grew up in Walkden and is the older brother of Sheffield United midfielder James McAtee. He got his break in football with Shrewsbury Town then had spells at Scunthorpe United and Grimsby Town – helping the latter to promotion from the National League in 2022 – before getting his move to Luton.
He was immediately loaned back to Grimsby and then farmed out to Barnsley last season but sources at Luton suggest that Elijah Adebayo, Carlton Morris, Jacob Brown and Cauley Woodrow will be ahead of him in the pack this season.
Joe Taylor, who excelled at Lincoln and Colchester last term, could also return to the fold.
Rob Edwards, a close friend of Bolton boss Evatt, said recently of the pair: “We’re assessing the whole group at the moment as well and Joe and Macca are in that now where we’re looking at where they fit within the group.
"We’ll try and make the right decision with them as well, but we can’t be selfish with it. This club, Luton Town, always comes first, of course it does, but they had big impacts in the clubs they went to last year. They did well and they really enjoyed playing every week as well, so we’ve got to make the right decision with those lads.”
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