Bolton Wanderers closing in on Walsall star Erhun Oztumer

The Championship club are in talks with the 27-year-old playmaker, who will be a free agent when his contract runs out at the end of the month.

Preston North End, Blackburn Rovers and Bradford City were all circling the Saddlers’ star man, but Phil Parkinson’s side are believed to be closing in on a deal.

Oztumer will be a huge miss for Walsall following two stellar seasons at the Banks’s Stadium that have yielded 30 league goals in total.

The diminutive midfielder has turned down a number of contract offers from the Saddlers over the past 12 months and the club announced last month they had made ‘numerous attempts’ to extend his deal.

But Oztumer told Walsall he wanted to leave this summer and has been exploring his options ever since.

Bolton, who finished just two points above the relegation zone last year, are now in pole position for his signature.

Sources in Lancashire are confident that Oztumer will opt to join the Wanderers this summer over other offers from the Championship.

It is the latest step in Oztumer’s impressive rise through the leagues.

After being released by Charlton at the age of 16 for being too small, he played in the Turkish fourth tier before joining non-league Dulwich Hamlet in the Isthmian League.

From there he moved to Peterborough in League One, but the ‘Turkish Messi’ only really started catching the eye at Walsall.

Saddlers boss Dean Keates now faces the task of replacing the club’s talismanic midfielder this summer.

Keates has already added striker Andy Cook to the squad on a two-year deal after his contract at Tranmere Rovers expired.

Keates also wants to find a new centre-half, as well as a couple of wingers.

However, he will be also on the lookout for a central playmaker to replace Oztumer in the side next season.