WANDERERS are close to landing last season’s top goal-scorer in League Two.

Eoin Doyle, who netted 25 times in 36 appearances for Bradford City and Swindon, was identified by the Whites as a top target for this summer.

And though a queue of clubs, including Salford City and Mansfield Town, are also reported to have lodged an interest in the out-of-contract 32-year-old, several sources over the weekend claim an agreement has now been struck for him to come to the University of Bolton Stadium.

Doyle is understood to be keen on a return to the North West, where he previously played at Preston North End and Oldham, and to reunite with his former Chesterfield team-mate, Ian Evatt.

Swindon had tried to convince Doyle to stay after he helped them to promotion from League One last season but struggled to match the money which was on offer at Bolton.

“We have made Eoin Doyle two offers now,” manager Richie Wellens told BBC Radio Wiltshire on Saturday. “The first one he didn’t feel was acceptable, which I understand, and we’ve now made him a second offer. We will wait and see.

“We can only pay what we can pay in the current market.”

Wanderers have just one recognised striker – Muhammadu Faal – currently on the books and have not had a front man hit 20 goals since Michael Ricketts did so at the turn of the millennium.

Elsewhere, Bolton have been linked with a move for former captain, Jay Spearing, who was recently released at Blackpool.

The midfielder, 31, is also reported to interest Sunderland – managed by his former Wanderers boss, Phil Parkinson.