Bolton have made two signings today, one more on the cards than the other.
Joel Dixon finally confirmed his long-awaited move this afternoon. The former Barrow goalkeeper played under Ian Evatt in Cumbria, and while the deal that brought the manager to the UniBol prevented us from raiding his former club, there’s obviously no way of stopping us picking him up on a free transfer.
Evatt has said that Matt Gilks would be number one goalkeeper next season, but it was obvious that whoever came in needs to provide serious competition. Dixon should be able to do that, having played week in, week out in the last two seasons, so even if we do stick with Gilks (as I’d expect) Dixon should be less of a risk if needed than Billy Crellin, who was untested and ultimately a gamble that didn’t work, or Lukas Jensen, who might have been really good, but we never got the chance to find out.
“Joel is a player who has played a lot for me and is someone I know and trust. He will provide good competition in the goalkeeping department and will never let anybody down. He’s a consistent footballer and a consistent character both on and off the pitch,” Evatt told the official site.
While Amadou Bakayoko’s signing had been rumoured in some quarters, it didn’t quite have the long build-up Dixon’s did. The striker was released by Coventry last month, having slipped down the pecking order in the Sky Blues’ first season back in the Championship.
The 25 year old was born in Sierra Leone, where Medo Kamara (remember him?) also came from, before his family moved to the Netherlands at a young age, the country he’d like to one day represent, and then finally England, where he played for Walsall before his move to Coventry.
He has a good physical presence at 6ft 4in and can hold the ball up well. He isn’t the most prolific scorer, with seven goals in 31 games in his first season at Coventry being his best haul while with them. Therefore he’s probably been brought in as an option, maybe to support Eoin Doyle if we fancy playing a front two at some point, or if Doyle can’t get into a game.
“Baka played in the Championship with Coventry City last season and is a tall centre forward who is quick, strong and will give us a different dynamic and option in the forward areas of the pitch. He’s a really hard worker in and out of possession – something that is a non-negotiable for me and our team – and we are really excited to have him,” Evatt said.
Two more signings then, that’s seven already and pre-season starts next week. It’s good to see the players come in early, a refreshing change from the last few years.
Meanwhile, Luke Hutchinson, Ryan Colvin, Jay Fitzmartin and Finlay Lockett are all now fully professional players after signing one year contracts.