SHOLA AMEOBI has offered to play for Bolton Wanderers for free – but is unable to re-sign for the crisis-hit Championship club because of their transfer embargo.

Ameobi’s contract at the Macron Stadium expired at the weekend, with the former Newcastle United striker scoring in Bolton’s 3-1 win over MK Dons.

With the Trotters in financial meltdown as they grapple with debts of around £180m, Ameobi has offered to play for nothing for the remainder of the season in an attempt to help the club avoid relegation to League One.

However, with Bolton currently operating under a transfer embargo that was imposed in late December, the club have been informed that they are unable to re-register Ameobi with the Football League.

Bolton were penalised after they failed to supply financial forecasts to satisfy the Football League’s Financial Fair Play regulations, and unlike the embargoes currently in place at Nottingham Forest and Fulham, they are unable to make any incoming transfers at all.

They could make a special request to have Ameobi’s signing ratified, but it would only be granted if they could prove they did not have enough senior players to name a match-day squad of 18.