BOLTON Wanderers have stolen a march on some big European rivals by signing two players for the start of next season.

FC Zurich's Switzerland midfielder, Blerim Dzemaili, and Bordeaux centre-half, Gerald Cid, have both penned pre-contract agreements and will see out the current season at their respective clubs before joining the Whites in July.

Dzemaili, aged 20, is already captain of Zurich and has attracted interest from a host of European clubs including Italian giants AC Milan and Juventus, and Wolfesburg in Germany.A member of Switzerland's World Cup squad last summer, he made his latest international appearance as substitute in a friendly in Germany on Wednesday.

He has agreed a two-year contract while 23-year-old Cid, a former France Under-19 international, has signed a four-year deal.

Sam Allardyce, who has been tracking both players for some time, was delighted to secure the early signings.

"We have moved quickly to sign one of the most promising defensive midfielders in Europe," the Wanderers boss said.

"Blerim is a fantastic player who has played for the best team in Switzerland for the past three years. For someone so young, he has a wealth of experience.

"At the tender age of 20, he is the skipper of FC Zurich and is expected to become a regular international for Switzerland in the years ahead.

He has hardly missed a game for FC Zurich since he started playing for them at the age of 17. I am excited by the prospect of working with Blerim next season.

"We have been monitoring Gerald for quite some time and our scouts have rated him as one of the best young defenders in France.

"For someone so young, he has made a major impact in the French League. In France, defenders tend to be over 25 in the top flight, but Gerald has bucked the trend with some impressive performances this season."