West Ham have confirmed that Oladapo Afolayan has joined League Two side Bolton Wanderers on loan until the end of the 2020/21 season.
Afolayan will enjoy his third loan spell in the Football League, having previously represented Oldham Athletic and Mansfield Town in recent seasons.
The 23-year-old forward has registered five goals in eleven appearances at development squad level this campaign, and scored on his West Ham United first-team debut in the 4-0 FA Cup fourth round win over Doncaster Rovers in January. Afolayan will now hope to ascend the League Two table with Ian Evatt’s 19th-placed Bolton side, gaining valuable experience in the process.
Promising defender Aji Alese has joined League Two club Cambridge United on loan until the end of the 2020/21 season. England youth international Alese will link up with a side who, under manager Mark Bonner, currently enjoy a two-point advantage over Forest Green Rovers at the top of the table. The 20-year-old defender – comfortable at centre-back and left-back – enjoyed an impressive loan spell at League One team Accrington Stanley last season, for whom he made 15 appearances in all competitions.
Alese subsequently went on to make his senior West Ham United debut in September, completing the full 90 minutes of the Hammers’ 5-1 Carabao Cup third-round win over Hull City at London Stadium. Having returned from injury this season, the Academy of Football defender is set to once again test himself against senior Football League opposition with the League Two leaders.
Oldapo Afolayan