WANDERERS have offered new contracts to Dennis Politic and Ronan Darcy as they head out of the club on loan.

Politic has signed a season-long deal with Port Vale and Darcy is in Norway finalising a loan with a second-tier club which will see him stay abroad until December.

Both academy graduates are in the final year of their contract but Ian Evatt is confident they will return to play first team football with Bolton again.

“We in negotiations about another contract for him and Ronan,” he told The Bolton News.

“It’s not the end for either of them, it’s about what is best right now for their development.

“We think a lot about them both, we think they have bright futures, so they have both been offered new deals to keep them at the club for the future, that’s what we want to do.”

Darcy’s deal was due to be confirmed last week but complications with his work visa meant he was forced to return to the UK at the weekend.

Evatt believes the experience will stand the midfielder in good stead, and – in Politic’s case – provide him with much-needed match fitness, lost after a year out through injury.

“It is a strange thing for Ronan to play abroad in Norway, he will have to get used to that,” he said. “Dennis will be in League Two and we saw what that is about last season, it is not easy.

“We have to make sure they both have the right attitude and application, which I am sure they will do, knowing them as lads. And then they both have enough quality to make an impact, so that’s the challenge for them.”

Evatt says he will be keeping close tabs on Darcy’s performances at a club which has designs on returning to the top flight in Norway this season.

“I’ll have constant dialogue with his head coach, and he will send me videos of the games so I can watch them back on a Sunday morning.

“They will also share the physical data, so the fitness coach can monitor him.

“A young lad in a Covid world, it won’t be easy for him. We will be in constant dialogue with Ronan to make sure he’s OK and they are looking after him properly.”

Wanderers face Lincoln City tonight, giving Evatt a chance to pit his wits against his former Blackpool boss, Michael Appleton - now back in the dugout after being diagnosed with testicular cancer earlier this year.

"It is great to see him back," Evatt said. "He’s a tough cookie. He is a very good man, and a well-respected one.

“I wish him all the best – obviously not tomorrow night – but beyond that I think he is a fantastic manager.

“I only played one game at Blackpool when he was there and got injured. But I’ll never forget how he treated me – he used to take me to away games, have a beer up in the bar with him on a Friday night, talking about football, the club, and he kept me involved and it was a huge positive for me.”