Last night, as is always the case when I log off, Lincoln City were linked with a move for Charlton striker Tanto Olaofe.
It’s fair to say some of the reception on social media was lukewarm, but unlike the unfounded Mickel Miller rumours, these did not get me thinking we’d dropped to a lower list of players. In fact, the signing of Olaofe, if we were pursuing it, would make sense in terms of squad depth.
The problem is we’ve seen £2m this and £3.9m that and in some cases, forgotten what it is that has helped get us where we are. One man’s trash is another man’s treasure. Conor McGrandles, specifically, couldn’t get into Charlton’s side, but was a monster for us. Reeco Hackett and Tom Hamer were both cast aside by divisional rivals, but have been huge for us. Olaofe, while not the marquee headliner people crave at this time of the season, actually feels like a decent fit for us.
If City do complete a move for Olaofe, they would not be signing a conventional penalty-box striker, that much is true. But, did we have that last season? Our actual strikers barely reached double figures, and we won the league with 103 points. Olaofe is at his best when attacking space, running channels and making life uncomfortable for defenders, with his pace and physicality arguably more important to his overall game than his finishing.
The 26-year-old came through Millwall’s academy before building his reputation during three loan spells at Sutton United. He scored 16 times in all competitions as they won promotion from the National League in 2020/21, before adding another nine the following season in League Two. His real breakthrough came after joining Stockport County permanently in January 2023, where three goals during his first half-season were followed by 20 league goals as County won the League Two title in 2023/24.
That earned him the chance to prove himself higher up the pyramid. He scored eight league goals during Stockport’s first season back in League One, with nine goals from an expected goals figure of 9.29 across all competitions suggesting his finishing was broadly in line with the quality of opportunities falling his way. Charlton subsequently paid around £1.5 million for him in July 2025, handing him a three-year contract, although his first Championship season was far tougher.
What Does The Championship Data Say?
Olaofe played 799 Championship minutes across 22 appearances for Charlton before returning to Stockport on loan in January. According to Wyscout, he scored once and provided one assist from those minutes, registering 11 shots, six of which were on target, while accumulating 2.21 expected goals.
That equates to approximately 1.24 shots and 0.25 xG per 90 minutes. The concern is obvious because he did not generate a particularly high volume of chances, and when opportunities did arrive, he underperformed his xG.
There is some context, though, because Olaofe completed a full 90 minutes only rarely and plenty of his appearances came from the bench, meaning he was often being asked to influence games in short bursts rather than establish himself over a sustained run.
Broadly speaking, he had a similar impact for Charlton as Alfie Lloyd did for us. More minutes, yes, but Lloyd averaged 1.22 shots per 90, with an xG of 0.32. Lloyd did a decent job for us, did he not?
The Wyscout numbers perhaps tell us more about the type of striker Olaofe is than the single goal does. He contested 202 duels during those 799 minutes, winning 76, which works out at roughly 22.8 duels per 90. There were also 61 aerial contests, of which he won 20, and while he is not somebody you would regard as a dominant target man, he is clearly willing to engage defenders physically and compete for possession.
Pace And Direct Running
His standout quality remains his speed, and that is probably where the attraction becomes easiest to understand. Olaofe has generally played as a centre-forward, but has had appearances on the left wing, as an attacking midfielder, on the right and even briefly in a deeper midfield role.
That versatility stems more from the way he plays than from him being a natural midfielder. He likes moving away from centre-backs and finding space in wider channels, where he can turn and run directly at defenders. The Charlton Supporters’ Trust previously compared him to a blend of Tyreece Campbell and Chuks Aneke, which is a useful description because he does not generally beat opponents through elaborate skill or repeated changes of direction. Instead, he uses acceleration, directness and upper-body strength to get beyond them.
That makes him particularly useful in transition. If City regain possession and can release him into space, Olaofe has the speed to turn a relatively harmless situation into an attack very quickly, while defenders retreating towards their own goal are likely to be far less comfortable against him than those able to defend a crowded penalty area.
His performance for Stockport against Crystal Palace in the FA Cup in January 2025 was cited as a good example. Manchester Evening News reporter Sam Byrne felt Olaofe gave England international Marc Guehi a difficult afternoon, repeatedly causing problems before failing to provide the finishing touch, which probably sums up the outstanding question surrounding him.
Is He A Goalscorer?
There is clear evidence that Olaofe can score goals. 20 in a League Two season cannot simply be dismissed, particularly when accompanied by promotion, while he was also Sutton’s leading scorer during their National League title-winning campaign.
The issue is whether that output can be reproduced at Championship level. His subsequent seasons have produced diminishing returns, with eight league goals for Stockport in League One followed by only one in 22 Championship appearances for Charlton and then another one during 16 League One appearances after returning to County on loan.
Therefore, anyone expecting a proven 15-goal Championship striker would be looking at the wrong player. The more interesting question is whether the other elements of his game could make him valuable within City’s system, with improved finishing potentially providing the upside.
How Might He Fit City?
The appeal is easiest to understand when looking beyond goals. Olaofe can press, compete physically, stretch the pitch and give a team an outlet, while his passing numbers with Charlton were relatively modest and reflected a forward whose role is more likely to involve attacking the next space than constantly dropping deep to dictate possession.
He can also operate alongside another striker or pull into wider areas, rather than requiring an attack to be built entirely around him. There is an intensity to his game which should translate well to a side looking to disrupt opponents and attack quickly after turnovers, while at 26 there should be little concern about whether he is physically ready for senior football.
He has played extensively across the National League, League Two and League One, while Charlton have already given him exposure to the Championship. The question is simply whether City believe they can extract more from him at that level than Charlton managed.
If we are looking for a pure finisher, his recent numbers would raise obvious reservations. If we want pace, power, pressing, aggressive running and somebody capable of pulling Championship defenders into uncomfortable areas, Olaofe becomes a far more intriguing proposition. His League Two goalscoring season shows there has been a productive striker in there before, and unlocking that version of Tanto Olaofe while retaining everything he offers without the ball would be the challenge.