St. Pauli Completes Transfer of Oladapo Afolayan to Blackburn Rovers

FC St. Pauli has officially transferred English forward Oladapo Afolayan to Blackburn Rovers. The 28-year-old was on an expiring contract and was anticipated to leave Hamburg’s Kiezkicker this month.

Despite initial discussions about potentially dissolving the former Bolton player’s Bundesliga contract to enable a free transfer, St. Pauli has secured a modest, undisclosed fee for his departure. Afolayan continues to hold an estimated market value of €2.5 million.

Following some controversy surrounding Afolayan’s social media activity earlier this autumn, St. Pauli bid farewell to a player who significantly contributed to their promotion back to the German top flight. Although he has not recorded any league minutes since November, he was included in head coach Alexander Blessin’s selections for matchdays 17 and 18.

“FC St. Pauli would like to thank Dapo for his time with the club and his successes at the Millerntor,” read a statement on the FCSP website. “Since joining FC St. Pauli in January 2023, Afolayan has enriched the team with his pace, assertiveness, and goal-scoring threat. During his tenure in brown and white, he made a total of 93 appearances, scoring 16 goals and providing seven assists.

“A special milestone during his time with the club was the promotion to the Bundesliga. Afolayan made an important contribution to FC St. Pauli’s return to the top German division after many years, with key actions, goals, and assists. FC St. Pauli wishes Afolayan all the best and every success in his future career with Blackburn Rovers and in his personal life.

“You will always be welcome at the Millerntor, Dapo!” the statement concluded.