IAN Evatt says there is no immediate rush to sort out an extended contract for club captain Ricardo Santos.

Preliminary talks have now begun between the club and the defender’s representatives aimed at agreeing a new deal beyond the summer of 2023.

Santos said he wanted to wait until the season had ended before making a decision but has since underlined that he is committed to speaking with Wanderers and would “love” to continue playing at the UniBol.

Evatt knows there has been interest in the 26-year-old over the last few months and said recently that the club would be under no pressure to sell key assets in the summer, regardless of whether they get promotion or not this season.

But the Bolton boss remains optimistic that a new contract can be arranged for Santos, who has made quick progress since being snapped up from the National League nearly two years ago.

“I am completely relaxed about the situation,” he said. “I obviously think the world of Rico, I brought him here, and Rico has blossomed at this football club.

“He has improved as a player, and I think he still has some work to do to get even better.

“We want him to stay of course but it is a two-way street. It isn’t just about what he has done for us, it’s what we have done for him as well.

“Myself and the rest of the coaching staff have worked really hard with Rico and his development.

“He was at Barnet – a club that was struggling in non-league. I saw in the documentary (Born to be a Wanderer) about how he was very close to becoming an Amazon driver.

“Two years later he is being hunted by Championship teams and captain of a big club like Bolton Wanderers. It shows how things change and how quickly things can happen.”

Santos has spent more minutes on the pitch than any other Bolton player this season and picked up the captain’s role after the departure of Antoni Sarcevic to Stockport County in October.

He signed an extension to his contract last year, taking him to June 2023, and Evatt feels the mutual respect between player and the club will be a major influence.

“I think we have been great for Rico as much as he has been great for us,” he said. “I think the world of him and hopefully we’ll persuade him to stay.”

Santos told The Bolton News last week that his decision to delay contract talks until the summer were only to allow him maximum time to focus on the League One run-in.

“It is still early stages,” he said. “I think people got confused with what I was saying last time – I wasn’t trying to stall a contract, I just wanted to concentrate and focus on the games I had coming up.

“The next two months is really important for myself and for the club but I know in the summer my agent, me and the gaffer will sit down and talk properly.

“I am happy to be here and honoured to be captain. I would love to stay but we will see how it goes and hopefully it is positive.”