Bolton Wanderers Farewell: Johnston and Key Players Depart After Promotion

The image of George Johnston lifting the trophy under the Wembley arch on Sunday already belongs to history. By the time Bolton Wanderers walk out as a Championship club in August, their longest-serving player will be gone.

Johnston, 27, has been released after five years of service, his farewell sealed in the most dramatic way possible as he captained Bolton to a League One play-off final victory over Stockport. From Liverpool’s academy to Feyenoord and then to the University of Bolton Stadium, his journey has carried a certain weight. So did his 188 appearances in a white shirt.

He leaves with promotion secured and his role in the club’s revival etched into the modern story of Wanderers.

A Wembley back four broken up

The clear-out cuts straight through the heart of the team that started at Wembley. Right-back Jordi Osei-Tutu, another of Sunday’s starters, is also heading out of the door.

The 27-year-old, signed from Bochum in August 2024, made 80 appearances across two years. His energy on the flank helped drive Bolton’s attacking style in League One, but the climb to the Championship has prompted harder decisions. The defence that helped deliver promotion will not stay intact to try to survive at the next level.

Midfield reshaped, loans head home

Change runs deeper than the back line. Midfielder Kyle Dempsey, an unused substitute in the play-off final, has been released as Steven Schumacher begins to reshape his squad for the second tier. Carlos Mendes Gomes, who spent most of the 2025-26 campaign on loan at Exeter City, also departs.

Those permanent exits are only half the story. A sizeable loan contingent is heading back to parent clubs, stripping Schumacher’s group of depth and familiarity in one sweep.

• Johnny Kenny
• Rob Apter
• Ibrahim Cissoko
• Marcus Forss
• Corey Blackett-Taylor
• Mason Burstow
• Amario Cozier-Duberry

all return to their employers after playing their part in the promotion push. Some were regulars, others impact options, but together they formed a core of flexibility and attacking threat that will need replacing.

For a manager preparing for the jump in quality that comes with the Championship, the summer suddenly looks busy, and unforgiving.

Schon seals permanent return to Hungary

One more departure had been looming for some time. Szabi Schon has completed a permanent move to Hungarian champions ETO FC Gyor after two years with Wanderers.

The 25-year-old Hungary international midfielder made 44 appearances for Bolton and spent last season on loan at Gyor, who have now triggered the option to sign him outright. His exit removes another creative option from Schumacher’s armoury and underlines just how different Bolton’s midfield could look by the time the new season kicks off.

A promotion party rarely comes with this much upheaval. Bolton have climbed back to the Championship, but the squad that carried them there is being dismantled piece by piece. The question now is not how far they have come, but how quickly Schumacher can build a side ready to stay there.