THREE Bolton directors have sealed a deal in Paris that will bring 24-year-old Auxerre full-back Eric Assati to the Reebok taking Arnar Gunnlaugsson to the French club in a cash-plus-player exchange - provided Wanderers are promoted to the Premiership!

An unlilkely story but one that was doing the rounds in the French media and found its way onto the English rumour trail until Colin Todd said "Non, non, and non again!"

No Bolton directors have been doing deals in Paris, there is no plan to sell Gunnlaugsson to Auxerre and the Wanderers boss has no interest in Assati . . . whoever he is.

"The fact is that I've never even heard of the player!" Todd, pictured, said with the characteristic irritation he reserves for wide-of-the-mark transfer speculation.

Usually it's a case of the truth being embroidered when a routine or tentative enquiry for a player is blown out of proportion or sharp-eyed media men see Bolton scouts at a game and put two and two together to come up with a transfer story to interest the tabloids.

But this one takes the biscuit for inaccuracy. Assati is reported to be delighted at the prospect of playing for Wanderers in the Premiership.

"Who is Assati?" Todd reacted with genuine surprise when asked to comment on the story. "This is the first time I've heard of him.

"All this is news to me and once again it's an example of stupid reports and speculation with no basis of fact in them whatsoever.

"Where do these things come from and why does it always seem to be Bolton Wanderers whose name is used in this way?"

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