PHIL Parkinson hopes his chairman Ken Anderson can bring some good news for Wanderers on the striker front this week.

Bolton’s long courtship of Bradford City’s Charlie Wyke is expected to come to a head after rivals Sunderland submitted a third bid on Saturday.

The League One side were pipped by Bristol City to Cheltenham’s highly-rated Mo Eisa and local reports suggest they want an answer from Bradford by close of business today.

Anderson’s pursuit of the 25-year-old has been significantly more understated but sources insist the club is dead serious about making him the spearhead of their attack in the Championship this season.

Parkinson refused to name Wyke specifically when quizzed on his striker plans after the weekend’s 0-0 draw with Girona. He added, however, that Anderson was in advanced talks with his main target and possible back-ups.

“The key area is the top of the pitch. We need more strength,” he told The Bolton News.

“Ken has spoken to clubs and is waiting to hear back from one or two chairmen.

“At the start of the summer we gave him a list of strikers that we thought were realistic and he asked me which one was at the very top of that list. I don’t want to discuss the name – I’m sure it’s documented – but we’re going for that one.

“We need progress but we have got one or two in the background, so it is not the only option.”

Wyke limped out of a friendly against Sheffield United last week after tweaking his knee but Bradford have played down the seriousness of the injury – adding the striker would be “assessed on a day-to-day basis”.

That has not deterred Sunderland, who have made their interest in signing the Middlesbrough-born front man increasingly public.

Anderson revealed last week that he had made a “six figure” bid for a striker, which, if completed, would be the first cash signing made by Bolton in three-and-a-half years and a significant step in the club’s recovery.