COLIN Todd is ready to fight off the vultures looking for rich pickings in the wake of Wanderers' Premiership demise.
The Bolton boss expects a summer of transfer speculation with ace midfielder Alan Thompson certain to be the main focus of attention.
But he hammered out a clear message to the asset strippers today when he insisted: "I'm determined to keep all my best players."
And to the players who might have their heads turned by tempting offers from the Premiership, he issued a timely reminder: "You are all under contract and I expect you to be here for the Nationwide campaign next season!"
Nevertheless, Todd knows it could be a long, hard close season once the rumour machine moves into top gear.
Thompson, rated in the £5 million bracket and possessing that rich blend of talent and aggression, has already been widely touted as a target for Aston Villa, Arsenal and Leeds. Yet Wanderers have had no formal or official approaches - a factor which has angered the manager, who continues to criticise clubs for employing so-called backdoor methods.
He also acknowledges that other players he describes as having "blossomed" during the season just ended - Per Frandsen, Nathan Blake, Keith Branagan, Andy Todd and Mark Fish - could also be coveted by envious clubs. But he will not be receptive to approaches and will certainly not be courting offers.
"I know there is not a lot of talent around in England," he explained, "and I've got a lot of talent that will be enquired about.
"It's up to me as a manager with players under contract to hold onto them.
"My wish is that all my players give us the opportunity to try to get back into the Premiership. I'd like to think that, not only at the start of pre-season but for the campaign in the Nationwide League, we will have all those players with us."
Todd accepts that 24-year-old Thompson is the player likely to attract the greatest interest, despite the fact that he signed a new contract less than a year ago. That agreement is understood to have included a 'get out' clause if Wanderers were relegated and the manager acknowledged that the next few weeks could determine whether the highly-rated Geordie stays or goes
"No players have come in to me and said, if we go down they'd want to move," he said. "And I know Alan Thompson is very happy here.
"There has been no indication from anybody that he wants to move - only what has been said (in the media) over the past six weeks that something might happen. But that comes from agents, it would not come from the player.
"But there's a period of time now for him to sit down and take stock."
Wanderers know, however, that if a club of Arsenal's stature was to make an approach, they would find it difficult to say 'no' if Thompson indicated his willingness to move.
Forty-eight hours after the bitter disappointment of seeing his team relegated on goal difference, Todd stressed: "We are a very ambitious football club and we have looked after players very well.
"If offers were to be put in for players, they'd have to be looked at in the right context. But I know what the chairman's thoughts are - to get out of this division again - and to do that we've got to keep our best players and bring other players in, which I will be doing."
Todd will start his search for new talent with a trip to the continent this weekend.
"The season starts here," he said.
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