Blackburn Rovers urged against signing ex-Bolton Wanderers star | OneFootball

FLW’s Blackburn Rovers fan pundit has commented on the interest in former Bolton winger Dapo Afolayan.

Blackburn Rovers will be hopeful of bouncing back after they were edged out by West Brom on the opening day of the 2025-26 season.

Valerien Ismael’s men went behind to a goal by Isaac Price, and despite periods of domination in the second half, fell to defeat at The Hawthorns.

Unable to get on the scoresheet in their opening game, question marks have been raised whether the Rovers squad has enough firepower to compete for promotion back to the Premier League again, particularly after losing creative spark Tyrhys Dolan.

As the summer transfer window ticks down, Blackburn are searching to bolster their attacking department, with Hayters TV reporting that the Lancashire outfit are interested in a move for former Bolton Wanderers winger Dapo Afolayan, who currently plays his football in Germany with St Pauli.

Blackburn are expected to face competition for his signature though, with the likes of Leicester City, West Brom and Swansea City also linked with making a move.

As Rovers attempt to add to the six players they’ve signed so far during the transfer window, FLW’s Blackburn Rovers fan pundit has weighed in with his thoughts about the potential of a new arrival to Ewood Park.

Blackburn Rovers urged to reconsider Dapo Afolayan transfer move

Speaking to Football League World, Blackburn Rovers fan pundit Simon Middlehurst believes the arrival of Dapo Afolayan would not be a “welcomed signing”, and instead the club should be targeting players with more experience at second-tier level.

Simon said: “I don’t think it would be a welcomed signing. We seriously lack some firepower in attack and one of the things we missed on Saturday was someone who can cross a ball, and at the minute, we lack that Championship experience.

“The signings that we’ve made just don’t have that experience that we need, and obviously we’ve lost a few players who have got that experience at this level.

“We need to look for a player who has either got some Premiership experience who is looking to go on loan and get some minutes, or an out-and-out Championship winger, because that’s something that we seriously lack, so I don’t think it would be a good signing or it worthwhile proceeding.”

Dapo Afolayan’s lack of Championship experience is a concern

Although Dapo Afolayan would be likely to get regular game time due to the lack of current options out wide in the Blackburn Rovers squad, his lack of knowhow at Championship level is a real concern for his ability to hit the ground running, should he make the move.

He has only played up to League One level while in England with Bolton, and despite 12 goals in the 2021-22 season, the strike rate took a significant dip to just three goals the campaign after, leading to his move to St Pauli.

In two seasons in the second-tier of Germany, he failed to reach double figures and then struggled to make much of an impact in the top-flight, so he doesn’t appear to be a figure who can cut it in the Championship at this stage of his career.

For Blackburn to push themselves back up towards the top end of the division, they need to replace the quality that they’ve lost with more tested and reliable players, as a risk of taking on unproven players could result in a term where they are constantly looking over their shoulders.

It doesn’t appear to be a gamble worth taking, and Rovers will have to be shrewder in the market if they want to bring about a dangerous and free-flowing frontline before the 1st September.