Bolton Wanderers is delighted to announce that Chris Forino has agreed to join the club on a three-year deal from 1 July 2024.
Wanderers have fought off fierce competition from both Championship and League One clubs to make the defender their first signing of the summer transfer window.
The 24-year old will officially join the club at the start of next month following the expiration of his contract with Wycombe Wanderers.
Joining the Chairboys in April 2021, Forino went on to make 90 appearances at the heart of the Wycombe defence, becoming a firm fans’ favourite for his all-action performances and his threat from set-pieces.
A keen desire to defend ensured Forino continued to impress at Adams Park, emphasised when scooping the Young Player of the Year award with the Wycombe Wanderers’ Supporters Association in 2022.
With a number of clubs looking to secure the signature of the towering defender, Forino told of his happiness at agreeing to become a Wanderers player and why this was the perfect place to take his next footballing step.
“I’m absolutely delighted,” he said.
“It’s a massive club and a massive opportunity for myself. My earliest memories of this football club was watching them on Match of the Day in the Premier League, so I know it’s a club with ambition and this feels like the right fit for me.
“For me it (what attracted him to Wanderers) was the Gaffer at first. It was one of the shorter phone calls that I had over the summer and sometimes, you just know.
“It was a very swift and short call and I came off thinking ‘this makes sense’. It’s a great club and it will allow me to grow as a player and person.
“As I said, it’s a club with ambition and I hope to play a big part in it.”
Forino will link up with his new teammates when the squad return for pre-season in the coming weeks, and he is already looking forward to getting involved and showcasing what he’s about.
“I absolutely love defending and I think it’s an art to do that, so I’m no-nonsense in that sense,” he added.
“I’m excited for the challenge ahead and to work with the Gaffer and his coaching staff on my game and flourish in a Wanderers’ shirt.
“I want to get the fans onside with me early doors. I want to make big tackles, celebrate with them and feel really connected with them – that’s really important to me.”