Dons 'agree a fee' for Bolton Wanderers' top-scorer Collins
The striker was Bolton Wanderers’ top scorer and Player of the Season last time out
MK Dons have agreed a fee with Bolton Wanderers to sign Aaron Collins.
The 28-year-old striker has scored 28 goals in 77 appearances for the Trotters since his move from Bristol Rovers in February 2024, 19 of them coming last season as their top scorer. His performances in League One last season also earned him Bolton’s Player of the Year award.
Collins made the move to the Toughsheet Community Stadium from Bristol Rovers for a fee understood to be around £750,000, with Dons expected to be parting with a similar sum for his services to join Paul Warne’s side in League Two.
According to Bolton News, Collins is expected to finalise a deal with Dons in the coming days.
Collins’ career began at Newport County. The Welshman came through their academy, and made his senior debut for the Exiles in 2014. Going out on loan to Merthyr Town, he returned to Rodney Parade in the summer of 2015 and his performances in the first-half of the campaign spiked the attentions of Championship side Wolves.
Bringing him to Moleneux in January 2016, Collins was sent on loan to the likes of Notts County, Tranmere Rovers and Maidstone United to gain more experience, but after a difficult start to the season in 2017/18 out at Colchester, he returned to Wolves and agreed to terminate his contract. He never made an appearance for them.
Eight goals in 15 outings for Morecambe followed after he penned a short-term deal with the Shrimps, before agreeing a two-year deal at Forest Green Rovers in the summer of 2018. Netting 16 goals for Rovers in League Two saw him move to Bristol Rovers in 2021, where his goal-scoring prowess would continue.
Bagging 39 goals for the Gas, Bolton came knocking in 2024, the start of his 18-month tenure in Lancashire. Dons boss Paul Warne is understood to have been interested in Collins around the same time, and his like for the 28-year-old looks set to see him finally land his man.
Desperate to breathe life into the side, Warne has already added Nathaniel Mendez-Laing, Rushian Hepburn-Murphy and another ex-Bolton man Gethin Jones to the squad this summer.