Rivaldo wants to join us - Bolton chief

Bolton chairman Phil Gartside has claimed he has received a fax from Rivaldo stating the Brazilian legend wants to complete a move to the Reebok Stadium.

The Trotters’ ambitious plan to land Rivaldo appeared to have been scuppered by Celtic’s entry in the race to sign the 32-year-old World Cup winner.

Even Bolton manager Sam Allardyce said the deal was dead and Rivaldo’s agent has indicated the player would prefer to join the Scottish champions, who can offer the added incentive of Champions League combat next term.

However, Gartside has now revealed that Rivaldo has been back in contact and that the Samba star has accepted terms with the Premiership outfit, who look like finishing an impressive seventh in the table following their win at Everton yesterday.

“I have a fax in my pocket which arrived this morning saying he wants to come to us,” Gartside told www.bwfc.co.uk

“It also says he doesn’t want to play in Scotland, so we are still hoping to do something with him.

“We’ve offered him a deal which he’s accepted financially and it’s just a case of getting together with him to put pen to paper.”

Few Bolton fans will believe Rivaldo will join them until the official contract is signed, but it finally appears Allardyce has pulled off the biggest coup of his managerial career, having already lured Youri Djorkaeff, Jay-Jay Okocha and Ivan Campo to the unheralded Lancashire outfit.