Scottish Premiership outfit Rangers are currently keeping tabs on Bolton Wanderers talisman Dapo Afolayan ahead of the summer window, according to a report from journalist Alan Nixon.

The 24-year-old has enjoyed a successful first season as a permanent player for the Trotters, playing a huge part in their top-half finish this term following their promotion from League Two at the end of the 2020/21 campaign.

His progress hasn't gone under the radar though with both Cardiff City and promoted side Fulham also thought to be monitoring his situation at this stage, though a move to the former seems unlikely considering Steve Morison is set to be working within a limited budget this summer.

 

 

The £1.5m-rated player may be in the Cottagers' and Giovanni van Bronckhorst's side's reach though if Ian Evatt's side are prepared to let him go for a fee in that region, though that remains to be seen with the ex-West Ham man still having two years left on his contract at the University of Bolton Stadium.

Looking at this potential deal from the Scottish club's point of view, would this be a good move? Would he be a starter for van Bronckhorst's men? And what would he provide to their cause?

We answer these three questions below with a move north of the border on the cards.

Is it a good potential move?

For the player, this could be a great move because it will allow him to perform on a bigger stage, potentially enabling him to catch the eye of other sides across the UK and potentially Europe too, depending on how well he performs.

With Rangers managing to reach the Europa League final this season, it would be no surprise to see them firmly involved in European competitions over the next few years too and this can only be valuable for the Englishman.

This feels like a good medium-term move for the 24-year-old - but he may hit his ceiling in Scotland if he progresses well, like Bournemouth's Ryan Christie did prior to his move to the Vitality Stadium.

With this, a move back to England could be likely in the future.

And in terms of the Scottish side, there's still plenty of time for Afolayan to improve, so if they can get him for around £1.5m, they should be looking to get this deal tied up as quickly as possible to stop other teams from swooping.

Considering his goalscoring contributions for Bolton during the 2021/22 season, this addition could potentially be crucial in gaining an edge on arch-rivals Celtic, so this is a move well worth making.

Would he start?

Amad Diallo is set to return to Manchester United and that could potentially open up a starting spot for Afolayan, so he should certainly have hopes of starting for the top-tier outfit north of the border.

However, he may need to fend off the likes of Ryan Kent and Scott Wright if he wants to be a regular starter, though the latter's underwhelming 2021/22 goals and assists record may provide hope for the Bolton man.

Everton, Fulham Leeds United and Wolverhampton Wanderers are all interested in Kent though and if he departs, Afolayan may be seen as a potential replacement for him.

Because of this, his chances of being a regular starter could depend on departures and although manager van Bronckhorst may be keen not to throw him in straight away, he certainly has the goalscoring pedigree to be an asset straight away.

What does he offer?

Registering 12 goals and seven assists in 44 third-tier appearances during the 2021/22 season, he certainly has the goal contributions record to make a real difference in the final third for the Gers, something that could potentially make them a dominant force in Scotland for years to come.

Along with the likes of Kent and Joe Aribo, the trio would be capable of blowing most Scottish top-tier teams away and this should be a daunting prospect for Celtic who will be keen to retain their league title for many years.

Also having the ability to play as a winger, an advanced midfielder and a striker, he is versatile enough to be effective in multiple positions and this can only be a good thing when injuries and suspensions start to creep in.

Not only is he a force going forward - but he can also track back defensively and is comfortable on the ball - making him an ideal addition at Ibrox as they look to steal a march on their league rivals and be a competitive team in all competitions next season.