IAN Evatt believes the business Wanderers completed in the last week of the January transfer window will give the club the necessary push for promotion.

Aaron Collins was signed for £750,000 from Bristol City and centre-back Caleb Taylor brought in on loan from West Brom on deadline day, making it four deals in total.

Wing-backs Calvin Ramsay and Nat Ogbeta had previously been loaned from Liverpool and Swansea City, respectively, as Evatt’s hand was forced by a cluster of injuries and suspensions.

The Bolton boss revealed that high-level talks at the start of the month concluded that investment at a time when the club was riding high in the table would be beneficial.

The fee for Collins is the highest paid by Wanderers in a decade but Evatt believes the striker will prove his worth.

Speaking about the decision to ‘splash out’ the manager said: “We always have plans but what changed was that we had some pretty in-depth conversations behind the scenes, understood the opportunity we have, and want to maximise it from a position of strength.

“In recent years the January window has been about pick-me-ups, or to lift us up to where we want to be.

“We’re not quite where we want to be right now but with games in hand, we could well be. So why not try and give us that last push to get over the line?

“And I must emphasise that it is not just about the here and now. Aaron is going to play a big part in whatever division we are in, whether that is the Championship or League One. I think we’re safe now, so we can say one or the other.

“He will be a big part moving forward. It is part of how we have evolved as a club and the board has been magnificent in helping us get what we feel we need to get us over the line.”

Collins is second only to Derby County’s Nathaniel Mendez-Laing in League One for goals created, and is the division’s reigning player of the year.

Although goals have been harder to come by this season, with only five in all competitions, Evatt has backed his new arrival to shine at the Toughsheet alongside fellow strikers Jon Dadi Bodvarsson, Victor Adeboyejo, Dion Charles, Cameron Jerome and Dan Nlundulu.

“I believe he adds something we haven’t got – he is different to the others,” Evatt explained.

“But they are all of equal importance to me and they all play a specific role.

“We know Aaron can do both – he can assist, he can score out of nothing, he can score regulation tap-ins.

“We think it is pretty good business and we’re confident the asking price was value for money. We are looking to him to prove that.”

B Team midfielder Nelson Khumbeni left on loan for Morecambe, with team-mate Eric Yoro moving to Cliftonville. A loan move for Luke Matheson had not materialised as The Bolton News went to press.