DELIGHTED with the capture of Everton youngster Joe Williams, the Wanderers management team are still plotting to complete a move for a goal-getter before the loan window closes.

Williams’ switch from Goodison Park until the end of the season, confirmed on Thursday morning, was in the pipeline for some time. And Steve Parkin’s claim work – led by Phil Parkinson and Ken Anderson – is continuing behind the scenes means fans should be confident they will have added more striking power before September.

“It’s an ongoing thing,” Parkin said. “We’ve got until the end of the month, which is coming up quickly but Phil is liaising with Ken all the time about who is and who isn’t available.

“It’s an ongoing thing and it kind of changes from day to day – some managers look at their squads and they probably consider three or four aren’t going to be in then have a change of heart. So it’s the luck of the draw and the picture changes every day.

“Our strikers have got loads of experience, Clayton Donaldson has had a super career, he’s still very quick and is a threat, and obviously the big man [Josh Magennis] has come in and got off to a flying start with a couple of goals.

“Maybe if the pressure is off a little bit we might just see a little bit more freedom in the players.”

Gary O’Neil is a doubt to face Sheffield United today due to a groin problem, meaning Williams could be in line for his first start in a Wanderers shirt, despite the new arrival’s interrupted pre-season.

Impressing as a deep-lying midfielder at Barnsley last year led to Bolton having to fend off interest from second-tier rivals to bring him in but he is in the frame for today’s highly-anticipated clash.

“Gary O’Neil has got a bit of a tight groin so we’ll look at that and give him right up until lunchtime,” said Parkinson. “We have to just get Joe up to speed, he needs a good week training with us.

“Unfortunately he picked up a thigh strain in pre-season, then he got fit again and had a problem in his back so it’s been a bit disjointed for him in terms of pre-season. He’s in the squad but he’s only had two days with us so we’ll assess him and pick the team and the bench accordingly.

“We’re one player short of where we want to be to take us to January and we’re working toward that.”