Bolton's George Johnston Leaves as Schumacher Starts Championship Rebuild
The image from Wembley will linger for a while at Bolton Wanderers: George Johnston, armband on, trophy raised, a captain leading the club back to the Championship. Five days later, the longest-serving player in the squad is heading for the exit.
Football moves quickly. Bolton are proving it.
Johnston, 27, will leave the club this summer after five years of service and 188 appearances, his release confirmed just days after he helped Wanderers beat Stockport County in the League One play-off final. The centre-back, who came through Liverpool’s academy before a spell at Feyenoord, has been a constant presence through Bolton’s climb, from rebuilding in the lower leagues to the brink of the second tier – and now into it.
His farewell is not a quiet one. Captaining the side at Wembley and lifting the trophy gives his departure a sense of closure that few long-serving players ever get. Bolton fans saw him at the heart of the revival; they also saw him lead the last act.
He will not be the only one moving on.
Jordi Osei-Tutu, the right-back who also started in that promotion-winning XI, is set to depart after two years at the club. The 27-year-old, signed from Bochum in August 2024, made 80 appearances in Bolton colours, offering energy on the flank and versatility in the defensive line. His time has been short compared to Johnston’s, but he leaves having played his part in a promotion season and a successful play-off campaign.
Midfield Departures
The clear-out stretches into midfield. Kyle Dempsey, on the bench and unused at Wembley, has been released, drawing a line under his spell in the engine room. Carlos Mendes Gomes follows him out, having spent most of the 2025-26 campaign on loan at Exeter City rather than in Steven Schumacher’s promotion push.
The message is blunt: sentiment will not shape Bolton’s return to the Championship. The squad that earned promotion is not necessarily the one that will try to survive there.
Rebuild Ahead
Schumacher now faces a major rebuild. The core of his matchday group is thinning, and that’s before accounting for the loan contingent. Johnny Kenny, Rob Apter, Ibrahim Cissoko, Marcus Forss, Corey Blackett-Taylor, Mason Burstow and Amario Cozier-Duberry are all heading back to their parent clubs, stripping away depth and, in several cases, key attacking options that helped carry Bolton through the season.
The pressure of the second tier demands more than romance and momentum. It demands numbers, quality, and a squad tailored to a higher tempo and a harsher schedule. Bolton’s manager knows he must move quickly in the market to replace not just bodies, but influence.
One more departure underlines the scale of change. Szabi Schon has completed a permanent move to Hungarian champions ETO FC Gyor after two years with Wanderers. The 25-year-old Hungary midfielder, who made 44 appearances for Bolton, spent last season on loan at Gyor, who have now triggered their option to sign him outright. A player already halfway out the door has now gone for good.
Promotion seasons often end with open-top buses and nostalgia. Bolton’s has ended with a squad reset. The celebrations at Wembley marked the end of one phase as much as the start of another.
Johnston’s image with the trophy will live on, a symbol of the club’s climb back towards the Championship. The real question now is who will be lifting it next time Bolton chase the next step.
