Former Sheffield United loanee Ben Davies completes transfer to Championship newcomers
Former Sheffield United defender Ben Davies could come up against his former club in the Championship again next season.
Championship newcomers Bolton Wanderers have snapped up former Sheffield United loanee Ben Davies on a free transfer.
The 30-year-old, who spent the 2021/22 season on loan at Bramall Lane from Liverpool, has agreed to join the Greater Manchester outfit on a two-year deal upon the expiry of his contract at Rangers. His deal at Ibrox is due to come to an end at the end of this month.
Bolton secured promotion back to the Championship last month for the first time since relegation from the second tier in 2019, beating Stockport County 4-1 in the League One play-off final at Wembley. They had previously fallen short in the play-offs in 2023 and 2024 respectively.
Davies will officially join Bolton on July 1 and will instantly bring Championship experience to the table. Making more than 160 appearances in the division during his career, the centre-back spent the 2025/26 campaign on loan at Oxford United. However, he made just 11 appearances for the U’s as they were relegated to League One.
His loan spell at Bramall Lane a few years ago was made up of 22 appearances in league and cup. Signed by Slaviša Jokanović, who was in charge for just a matter of months, being sacked in November 2021 after being appointed in May the same year, Davies helped the Blades eventually secure a top six finish under Paul Heckingbottom.
The defender scored one goal during his time with the Blades, turning home a 92nd minute winner to help them seal a dramatic 1-0 win over Blackburn Rovers at Bramall Lane in February 2022.
Following his return to Anfield from Bramall Lane in the summer of 2022, Davies joined Rangers for a reported fee of £3million, signing a four-year contract. Making just 58 appearances for the Gers during that period, he has been sent out on loan on two occasions, spending time with Birmingham City in 2024/25 and Oxford in the most recent campaign.