'Surprised' - Bolton Wanderers League One spending admission made in bid to reach Championship

Ian Evatt recognises Bolton Wanderers may need to spend a bit more money in a highly competitive League One in a bid to gain promotion to the Championship but is adamant the club will be strategic with that and not overspend.

Wanderers finished the recently concluded regular season ninth in League One, their first back in the division since being relegated in 2020 and secured a top 10 finish on the final day of the campaign. They finished with a points tally of 73 and 10 from the play-offs.

League One this campaign boasted the likes of Wigan Athletic, Rotherham United, Sheffield Wednesday, Sunderland, Charlton Athletic, Ipswich Town and Portsmouth alongside Wanderers in a competitive division. The Owls, Tractor Boys, Addicks and Pompey will remain in the division next season.

READ MORE: Rangers linked with transfer for Bolton Wanderers star Dapo Afolayan as value revealed

Sunderland could also still be in the division next season should they lose the play-off final next Saturday to Wycombe Wanderers at Wembley. Derby County, Barnsley and Peterborough United will all drop down from the Championship to League One after suffering relegation.

Evatt admits that there has been surprise at the level of expenditure and technical ability in the division. He puts that down to better players being needed owing to bigger clubs in the division spending money.

He believes there is 'huge gulf' in the two halves of League One owing to the raft of former Premier League teams in the top half of the division. Though there is big spending in the division and Evatt recognises Wanderers may need to increase their outlay, they will not join the upper echelons of League One in terms of spending top money.

Evatt wants the Whites to do it