Blackburn Rovers eyeing up transfer swoop for ex-Bolton Wanderers star Dapo Afolayan | OneFootball

Blackburn Rovers are keen on signing St Pauli winger Dapo Afolayan, who could be available for around £2m this summer.

Blackburn Rovers are weighing up a move to sign St Pauli winger Dapo Afolayan, who used to star for local rivals Bolton Wanderers before his move to Germany.

The former West Ham talent has been linked with a move back to England, two-and-a-half years after departing League One side Bolton to pursue a new opportunity overseas in Germany.

Now, according to journalist Alan Nixon via his Patreon page on Sunday morning, Afolayan could be in line for a return to Lancashire, as Blackburn are keen to bring the 27-year-old back to the EFL.

St Pauli reportedly value their winger at around £2m, as he remains a starter for them, but could be open to sanctioning a sale this summer, as Blackburn are keen on making a move.

It remains unclear whether other clubs will contest Valerien Ismael's side for Afolayan's signature, but this price tag could have other EFL teams on high alert.

Blackburn Rovers keen to bring Dapo Afolayan back to England

Once one of the most feared wingers in the EFL during his time at Bolton, his name may have become slightly forgotten by those who don't follow the happenings in other European leagues.

Afolayan moved to St Pauli from the Trotters in January 2023, and helped the Hamburg-based side secure promotion to the Bundesliga in his first full season at the club, with nine league goals to his name.

However, the Nigerian's time at the German side recently has been somewhat of a rollercoaster due to a drop in his game-time, which has seen clubs across the EFL raise interest in bringing him back to England after two-and-a-half years away.

According to the latest update from Nixon on Sunday, Blackburn are the latest side weighing up a move to bring the former Bolton star back to Lancashire this summer, as they look to strengthen their attacking line.

The departure of Tyrhys Dolan has left a big void for Ismael to try and fill, and Afolayan could be the man to do so, as he's reportedly available for around £2m this summer.

Other EFL clubs could be on alert after Afolayan's price tag is revealed

As mentioned, Blackburn aren't the only party who've registered an interest in Afolayan over the summer, with Championship rivals West Brom and Leicester City just a couple of names also linked with him in the transfer window.

Now with top flight experience under his belt, and a promotion to his name in Germany, it's highly likely that we would see a much different version of Afolayan return to the EFL than the one that left it two-and-a-half years ago.

St Pauli paid a reported fee to Bolton of around £500k in January 2023 for the 27-year-old, and the £2m price tag that they've set for him this summer would see them pocket a healthy profit if they sanction a sale.

However, £2m for an experienced winger at the peak of his career seems like somewhat of a steal, and this fee could certainly alert any other parties monitoring the situation, so Blackburn should move fast to get this one over the line.