Last season, Blackburn Rovers signed Tayo Edun from Lincoln City with high expectations, but fast forward 12 months, and he is set to leave Lancashire.
Edun broke through the ranks at Fulham, before earning himself a loan move to Championship side Ipswich Town, where he played just six times before being recalled due to an eye injury. Edun signed for Lincoln from Fulham in Michael Appleton’s first transfer window as a midfield option for the Imps, however as he settled in at Sincil Bank, he became one of the best full-backs in the league.
Edun became a crucial part of the Appleton setup during the 2021/22 season as the Imps challenged for promotion and reached the playoff final at Wembley before losing to Blackpool. Edun was a key part of a squad that included the likes of Brennan Johnson, Jorge Grant and Morgan Rogers and while the club didn’t earn promotion, multiple members of the squad earned Championship moves and Edun was one of them.
The full-back signed for Blackburn in August 2021, after starting the season with Lincoln in impressive fashion. The Championship club splashed out a reported £500,000 on Edun and hopes were high for him at Ewood Park. Unfortunately for Edun, he failed to get going in the Championship. His first season saw him make 20 league appearances after losing his place in the side to Harry Pickering. His second season in the Championship didn’t see him make an impact either making just 8 league appearances and seeing a loan move to Charlton Athletic in January fall through.
Charlton Athletic
Edun’s proposed move to Charlton was called off at the last minute in January due to an injury to Callum Brittian at Blackburn. The injury left the Championship club with just one left-back in Pickering, so Edun was kept back for depth but he only managed 190 minutes with the Lancashire-based side.
Blackburn may look to offer Edun to Charlton after they had to pull the plug in January, but the problem is you would imagine that Blackburn would rather Edun leave on a permanent deal rather than a temporary loan move and that may not be something Charlton would be interested in. That being said though, Edun knows the League and proved he can play a key part in a promotion campaign, so if Charlton want to make that next step, this could be a smart move.
Cardiff City
Cardiff City has recently been linked with a move for Edun, and if it’s true, it offers Edun a chance to stay in the Championship and have another opportunity to prove himself at a level he is clearly good enough to play at.
Cardiff will be looking to rebuild after promotion threatened them last season, and Edun could be part of that rebuild as they look to surge back up the Championship next season under new management after they parted ways with Sabri Lamouchi a few weeks ago. Edun is versatile, which is something Cardiff could look for as part of their recruitment focus too.
The one problem for Cardiff would be that while he has done well in League One, he has never had a run of games in the Championship, and putting faith in him could be seen as a risk considering the team’s performance last season.
Lincoln City
A move back to Lincoln City could certainly help Edun get his career back on track. Edun has previous experience with the Imps and is already acquainted with the majority of the team, particularly the defence. Therefore, reintegrating into the squad should be less challenging compared to new signings.
If Imps’ boss Mark Kennedy decides to stick with a back five, it becomes crucial for them to recruit attacking wing-backs in the summer. While Roughan impressed last season, he failed to provide the same attacking threat as Edun did in his time at Sincil Bank. Kennedy sets his team up with wing-backs that make an effort to push forward and offer additional support to the wingers, and Edun could do that role really well as well as providing depth in midfield with the departures of Max Sanders and Matty Virtue.
Peterborough United
Peterborough United are set to rebuild this summer after their loss to Sheffield Wednesday in the semi-finals of the League One playoffs and Edun may be an option they look towards.
The Peterborough retained list revealed that they could end up losing 14 members of their current squad, with two players released, three players’ loan spells expiring and nine players available for transfer this summer. While Harrison Burrows has done well, he isn’t seen as a natural left-back by many and with Dan Butler leaving, Edun would be a coup as Peterborough look to win promotion back to the Championship.
Peterborough are known for developing young players and with Edun still only 25 years old, they could help propel him back into the Championship, either by winning promotion next season or by giving him a platform to impress.
Bolton Wanderers
Bolton Wanderers also lost out in the playoff semi-finals and similarly to Peterborough, they will be looking to go a step further next season and earn promotion to the Championship.
While Declan John and Randell Williams have proved good wing-back options for Ian Evatt’s side, Edun would be a massive upgrade both offensively and defensively. His experience in League One would be crucial and his attacking mentality could really shine in the system that Evatt employs at Bolton.
While there might be better options for Edun, Bolton could still be a very viable one.
Writer’s View
As a Lincoln City fan, I think Edun is Championship quality but he has struggled to get regular minutes to prove himself at Blackburn. While I’d really want him back at Sincil Bank as he’d improve us as a team and help us improve, I can’t look past the prospect of him moving to Charlton, especially with the proposed loan move in January and the opportunity to move back to London.
While we don’t know exactly where Edun will be next season, there’s no doubt he will have plenty of suitors in the summer window.
