WANDERERS will bid farewell to James Trafford and Conor Bradley this week – but have already begun planning for their successors.

Ian Evatt and his players will reassemble at Lostock in the next few days for a debrief, giving loan stars Bradley, Trafford, Dan Nlundulu, Shola Shoretire and Luke Mbete a chance to say goodbye to staff and team-mates before heading back to their parent clubs.

Defeat against Barnsley on Friday night spelled the end of the road for Bolton’s promotion hopes and means Evatt and his staff will be preparing for another season in League One.

Manchester City keeper Trafford has already confirmed that he will not be returning to Bolton next season and Liverpool want Bradley to be playing at a higher level than League One if they decide to loan him out again next term.

Evatt admits they will be a hard act to follow but has vowed to work hard over the summer to find the right choices in the transfer market.

“I thanked all of the loan players after the game but those two in particular have been so impressive with the way they bought into the environment, the culture, the football club,” he said of Trafford and Bradley.

“The nature of being a League One club at the moment is that you are going to lose players. Some that we own, some we loan, and it is about how we find people who can slot into those positions seamlessly.

“We managed to do that last season when everyone was petrified of us losing out on Marlon Fossey and we brought Conor in. I am not saying there is another Conor Bradley coming in next season but I will promise that we will do our due diligence in the recruitment process and improve the team in general.

“There is lots of improvement, I think, to come.”

Wanderers also have to address the seven first team players out of contract – and discussions are expected to take place with those affected early this week.

Jon Dadi Bodvarsson, Kieran Lee, Josh Sheehan, Joel Dixon, Lloyd Isgrove, Elias Kachunga and MJ Williams are all at the end of their current deal, which leaves the Whites with 14 contracted players once the loanees return to their parent clubs.