IAN Evatt is confident he will have more new players signed up by the time his squad returns for duty at the end of the month.

The Wanderers boss is believed to be closing in on a fifth permanent addition of the summer and hopes to have a couple more to add to the list by the time players report back to Lostock in a fortnight for fitness testing.

Evatt will take his team for a training camp before the pre-season friendly action begins on July 10 at Longridge Town.

He is upbeat about the business done so far, insisting he has secured his number one pick in each of the positions he has filled thus far. Now, Evatt wants as many options as possible in place by the time his players travel to a training base in the UK to begin their preparations for League One.

“I’d like it to be busy,” he said of the prospect of new signings.” You are never going to have your full squad sorted by the start of pre-season training but I would like the majority in the building.

“We want to work with them, we want to educate them, we want them to connect with the group and feel a part of this football club, and that takes time.

“Hopefully in pre-season we’ll get there, get them in the building, get their fitness levels right, get them used to playing our way and then at the start of the season they can hit the ground running.”

Wanderers start off their friendly schedule by facing three non-league sides in Longridge, Atherton Colls and FC United of Manchester but then step up in level to face Championship Preston North End and Blackburn Rovers, plus old League Two foes Barrow.

Evatt hopes the pre-season performances can reflect the general positivity which has lingered since last season’s promotion and the Bolton boss is happy with the quality of the matches which have been organised.

“There are lots of competitive games,” he said. “Obviously we are carrying momentum and I’d hope we can carry that through to the start of the season.

“We can’t wait to get started again and that is a measure of how far we have come, really.

“There is a real buzz around the town, a real buzz around the football club again and that is credit to everybody – players, staff, board, fans alike. We are all in this together and we want to keep pushing forwards.”

PRE-SEASON SCHEDULE.

Saturday, July 10 (KO 3pm) – Longridge Town v Bolton Wanderers.

Tuesday, July 13 (KO 7.30pm) – Atherton Collieries v Bolton Wanderers.

Saturday, July 17 (KO 3pm) – FC United of Manchester v Bolton Wanderers.

Tuesday 20 July (KO 7pm) – Preston North End v Bolton Wanderers (Played at the County Ground, Leyland).

Saturday, July 24 (KO 3pm) – Barrow v Bolton Wanderers.

Saturday, July 31 (KO 3pm) – Bolton Wanderers v Blackburn Rovers.

Bolton Wanderers XI Fixtures.

Wednesday, July 21 (KO 7:30pm) – Bamber Bridge v Bolton Wanderers XI.

Tuesday, July 27 (KO 7.30pm) – Chorley v Bolton Wanderers XI.

Wednesday, August 4 (KO 7pm) – Chester v Bolton Wanderers XI.