Gossip: Bolton Wanderers link to Australia star Keanu Baccus

The Daily Record claims that Bolton are ready to steal a march on Championship trio Cardiff City, Huddersfield Town and QPR to sign the 25-year-old this summer.

South African born Baccus, who played for Australia at the World Cup and has seven caps for his country, enjoyed a rapid rise last season after signing for St Mirren from Western Sydney Wanderers.

He played 36 times for the Buddies last season, scoring twice, and has a year left to run on his current contract. St Mirren could look to do a deal now in order to strengthen their squad elsewhere and avoid losing him for free next summer.

Baccus hinted that he was open to offers elsewhere in an interview with the Herald in May.

"It's tough coming here. The winters are very different to back home in Oz! Especially when I was coming from Dubai and Qatar, they were so hot. It really took a lot of time to learn, but I've got a year under my belt now.

"I'm going to relax for a week and then get back into things. I'll see where the future takes me, but who knows?

"Every player wants to progress and help their family. It's not all about that but it's what we want to do at the end of the day. We will see if there are any options. We'll talk to the club and see what happens.

"I've definitely had a great time here. But it's life, it's football. I moved on from my boyhood club in Sydney, so that's probably the toughest thing I've had to do in my life.

"Moving forward, we want to progress and get better as players. We'll see what happens. You never want to look too far ahead as you can miss stuff in the moment."

Wanderers are looking to strengthen their midfield and have already been linked with cash moves for Peterborough United’s Ollie Norburn and Wimbledon’s Ethan Chislett this summer.

Ian Evatt has signed two goalkeeper thus far, Nathan Baxter and Joel Coleman, and is understood to be close to adding two wing-backs in Tranmere’s Josh Dacres-Cogley and Bristol City’s Kane Wilson.