Former Middlesbrough, Crystal Palace and Bristol City star Yannick Bolasie could be set for a surprise return to the Championship, according to reports.
The BBC are reporting that promotion-hopefuls Swansea City are looking to offer the DR Congo international a short-term deal, with head coach Michael Duff keen to bolster his depth on the flanks.
Bolasie has vast experience in English football, having played in the seventh tier with Hillingdon Borough right up to Everton during the Toffees’ run to the Europa League. Having excelled at Selhurst Park, the Merseyside club spent £25 million to bring the winger to Goodison Park.
Unfortunately, Bolasie struggled to get much game-time with Everton, making merely 32 appearances across a five-year spell and being sent out on loan four times, including a half-season spell with Neil Warnock’s Middlesbrough, having played under the legendary manager at Crystal Palace.
Recently, the 34-year-old spent the last two seasons in Turkey with Caykur Rizespor where he scored 20 goals in 55 appearances for the Rize-based outfit but was made a free agent upon expiry of his contract at the end of the 2022/23 campaign.
Nevertheless, Bolasie could make a surprise return to English football by accepting Swansea City’s short-term contract offer, although the report doesn’t state exactly how long this deal would run for.
It was reported during the summer that Bolasie was even keen to return to the Premier League before retiring, although perhaps he will have to settle for the second-best division in English football for now, with the hopes of eventually earning promotion with the Swans.
Writer’s View
This could be a decent move for Swansea City. There was a point in time when Bolasie was one of the great entertainers in English football and while he may not hit the heights of his time with Palace, the attacker could still offer some dynamism to Duff’s team.
Bolasie’s stats in Turkey were quite impressive too so the wide man could still have a bit left in the tank should he join the Welsh outfit.
Deputy Head of Writing
