Barnsley have had a £400,000 bid for Luke Bolton rejected by Salford City, as per BBC Sport (live transfer blog, 10.07.23, 8.27).
Barnsley are interested in luring the League Two star to Oakwell this summer as they prepare for life under Neill Collins.
The Tykes were beaten in the play-off final last season by Yorkshire rivals Sheffield Wednesday at Wembley and will be eyeing another push for promotion from the third tier next term.
Bolton, who is 23-years-old, helped Salford reach the top six and they could face a battle to keep hold of him this summer.
Shrewd target for Barnsley
Barnsley will need to fork out more money if they are to land the Manchester City academy graduate but he would be a useful addition if they were able to agree something. He had an impressive past campaign with his current club and would bolster the Tykes’ options down the right hand side.
Bolton rose up through the ranks at the Etihad Stadium and was a regular for the Premier League giants at various youth levels. The Stockport-born man never made a senior appearance under Pep Guardiola but did gain experience out on loan at Wycombe Wanderers, Luton Town and Dundee United.
Salford snapped him up on a permanent basis in 2021 and he hasn’t looked back since, chipping in with six goals in 69 games for the North West outfit in all competitions. He still has a year left on his contract with Neil Wood’s side and the fact that they have rejected Barnsley’s offer shows they are not willing to lose him on the cheap.
He is still a decent age and has time on his side to grow and develop in the future as he looks to rise back up the leagues.
