Bolton Wanderers have moved to strengthen their recruitment network by appointing Laurent D’Affnay as head of European scouting, a role that is understood to have been given and is still expected to be confirmed in the coming weeks. The Belgian, 43, is arriving from Standard Liege, where he spent the last three years as head of recruitment.

The timing matters because Bolton are heading into the Championship and looking to widen their reach in foreign markets before the next transfer window opens. For a club stepping up a level, that kind of appointment is more than housekeeping; it is a sign that Bolton want a more structured way to identify players outside England, particularly where value can still be found before bigger clubs move.

D’Affnay has spent time at Standard Liege since 2017 and previously worked for Royal Francs Borains, while Bolton sporting director Fergal Harkin already knew him from their time together in Belgium. That link is part of why the move has progressed quickly, and it fits a club trying to build a recruitment operation with a sharper European edge rather than relying only on domestic scouting. Bolton have also been credited with interest in Bosnian midfielder Dario Saric, one of the players whose availability will be watched closely as the summer develops.

Saric is on loan in Turkey with Antalyaspor and has another 12 months left on his Palermo contract. He has 10 international caps, was left out of Bosnia and Herzegovina’s World Cup squad and has also played for Ascoli and Carpi in Italy. Across his senior career he has scored 15 goals in 275 appearances, and Antalyaspor are thought to have passed on the chance to make his loan permanent after he played 25 games and scored once. Greek side Iraklis and Championship rivals Lincoln City are also interested, which is where Bolton’s new European focus could soon be tested.

The club is not starting from scratch in midfield. David Watson has already been added this summer, while Steven Schumacher still has Josh Sheehan, Xavier Simons, Ethan Erhahon and Ruben Rodrigues available for competition in the middle of the pitch. Bolton also have two extra slots for players who do not meet the FA’s GBE criteria because of promotion, and Thierry Gale and Ibrahim Cissoko filled those places last season. If Gale’s status is rubber-stamped, Bolton would have four ESC slots available for the 2026/27 campaign, giving the club even more room to move in Europe if D’Affnay settles into the job as expected.

That makes the next few weeks important. Bolton are expected to confirm D’Affnay’s appointment soon, and once that happens the club’s recruitment plans should become clearer too, both on the European side and around targets such as Saric. For now, the message is plain: Bolton are building for the Championship with a broader scouting footprint, and they want that extra reach in place before the market starts moving.

Bolton will also get a first public run-out of the summer when they face Oldham Athletic in a pre-season friendly on Tuesday, July 21 at 7pm.