Bolton Wanderers have been active in the transfer market as they prepare for their first Championship season after seven years away.

The Trotters have spent a lot of time coming up short in the third tier in recent years, so they want to make sure their second-tier stay lasts more than one season.

So far, Steven Schumacher’s team has signed five new players, including Liverpool academy product Luca Stephenson and Augsburg forward Kyliane Dong on loan, but there have been concerns about the potential of bringing in a new goalkeeper.

Bolton was one of the better defensive teams in League One last season, but there wasn’t much consistency between the sticks.

Teddy Sharman-Lowe, a Chelsea loanee, and Tyler Miller began the season as reserve players, but both were replaced in January by Stoke City’s Jack Bonham and Fleetwood Town’s David Harrington.

Bonham was a reliable goalkeeper in the second half of 2025/26, keeping four clean sheets in 21 games, including two in each leg of the play-off semi-finals.

Regardless, some believe the 32-year-old could be upgraded as Bolton prepares for their Championship return, with reports stating that Brighton and Hove Albion’s James Beadle is interested at the Toughsheet Stadium – however, Birmingham City is also interested and has begun talks to sign him.

Bolton Wanderers’ goalkeeper position is “not a priority” this summer, according to Steven Schumacher.

Beadle has spent the last two and a half seasons on loan in the Championship, with Sheffield Wednesday and Birmingham City. Over that period, he has kept 25 clean sheets in 92 games.

The 21-year-old is still highly regarded, but has a lot of space for improvement. He lost his spot near the conclusion of his time at Hillsborough, and he also failed to impress many Birmingham supporters last season.

Bolton’s Steven Schumacher is not currently looking for a new goalie, despite the fact that he would be a valuable addition to the team.”It isn’t a priority position,” he told the Bolton News. “When we’ve got a limited budget, it isn’t something where we can say, ‘let’s just go and bring another goalkeeper that we don’t think improves the department.”We have three quality goalkeepers and Luke Hutchinson on loan, so the position is not a priority.Right now, that isn’t an area we’re working on; we need to invest our money somewhere first.”

During Bolton’s promotion bid last season, many of their key players were on loan. Amario Cozier-Duberry, Mason Burstow, Ibrahim Cissoko, and Johnny Kenny have all returned to their respective teams.

Prior to preseason, the Toughsheet Stadium’s forwards consisted of only Sam Dalby and John McAtee, with Dong joining to supplement that.

Understandably, he will not be the sole addition to the forward line, and Bolton will prioritise bolstering it before considering upgrading in places where they are well established.

How Bolton Wanderers fans reacted to Steven Schumacher’s latest update.

Schumacher knows Bonham from his time as Stoke’s goalie. The 32-year-old was mostly the backup keeper during the Bolton manager’s tenure at the bet365 Stadium a few years ago, but he clearly trusts him to be the first choice at his current team.

Schumacher’s confidence in his present goalkeeper core has elicited various reactions online. Some Bolton fans believe the club needs a new shot-stopper who is more suitable for the Championship, while others are content with Bonham starting next season.The management has done well since joining the club, but I believe we need a much better first-choice goalie. No disrespect to Bonham, but it’s a position on the team that is critical to producing the results we’ll need to maintain our status,” one fan wrote on X.

Meanwhile, another person said, “I don’t understand the negativity towards Jack; he played a key role in getting us up last season.” We have limited cash and must prioritise more important areas. “I believe Schumacher and Fergal [Harkin] know more than any of us.”

“I believe he’ll be even better next season following a complete preseason and a half-season as the first pick for the first time in years. I’m quite fine with us prioritising attack,” one added, and that is ultimately the approach Bolton should take.

If they use their limited resources to help develop the attack and get it up to speed for the upcoming season, the goalie position may be put on the back burner, which could be a gamble but one that could easily pay off.

If Bonham can prove himself between the posts in the coming season, there will be no complaints about the lack of goalkeeper signings at the Toughsheet Stadium this summer.