Cardiff City have joined Fulham in the race for Bolton Wanderers forward Dapo Afolayan according to The Bolton News.

The 24-year-old has chipped in with 20 direct goal contributions this season for the Trotters and has a deal at The UniBol until the summer of 2024.

Steve Morison will be hoping for some financial backing in the summer window, having worked very well on a shoe-string since replacing Mick McCarthy in the dugout.

Cardiff have pulled themselves away from the relegation conversation with a lot of promise, but will need to replenish their squad in the summer, with loan players making significant contributions in the last few months.

The next few windows could be quite tricky to negotiate from a Bluebirds point of view, with the club about to exit their final season of parachute payments in the coming weeks.

It is difficult to see Afolayan playing in the top-flight with Fulham next season, with a season of regular second tier action feeling like a far more appropriate step up.

Therefore, if Cardiff can match Bolton's asking price they probably have a fairly good chance of bringing him in, although that could prove to be a stumbling block in the first place.

The Verdict

Given the way Cardiff have operated in the last few transfer windows, it is hard to see them buying Afolayan out of his current contract at The UniBol, particularly due to his age and the calibre of some of the other clubs linked with the forward.

Morison has been a successful but cost-cutting appointment this season, and it appears that the club will be hoping to continue to bring through younger players from the academy, to reduce financial outlay in the transfer market in the coming seasons.

Afolayan could possibly find a more ambitious Championship club heading into 2022/23 and therefore the Bluebirds have it all to do to lure him to South Wales.