Bolton sent Sam Nombe, Rotherham United transfer warning as £2m issue raised | OneFootball

Bolton Wanderers could eye a summer move for Rotherham United striker Sam Nombe amid the Millers' relegation worries in League One

Bolton Wanderers could capitalise on Rotherham United's struggles by signing striker Sam Nombe this summer.

The Millers' chances of League One survival took a serious dent when they were hammered 5-0 by Peterborough United on Tuesday, a result which cost former boss Matt Hamshaw his job.

Rotherham acted swiftly to appoint ex-Huddersfield Town and Birmingham City boss Lee Clark on a short-term deal until the end of the season.

Clark has a difficult task on his hands, though, as the South Yorkshire side are six points adrift of safety with just nine League One games remaining.

Meanwhile, Nombe has been a shining light in an otherwise poor Rotherham side, scoring nine goals in 22 third-tier appearances this term, despite encountering injury problems earlier in the campaign.

Sam Nombe could be an asset for Bolton Wanderers - but one issue has been raised

In contrast to the Millers, Bolton have enjoyed a largely successful League One campaign, and have given themselves every chance of clinching a long-awaited Championship return via the play-offs.

However, Steven Schumacher's men will be somewhat disappointed that they haven't been consistent enough to trouble the top two sides, Lincoln City and Cardiff City.

Meanwhile, the Bolton News revealed in January that Wanderers were interested in Nombe, but didn't acquire his services after Rotherham set a £2million asking price.

The striker showed Schumacher's side how dangerous he can be by notching a brace against them in last Saturday's 2-2 draw at the New York Stadium.

Now that the Millers are destined for the drop zone, though, the Greater Manchester outfit could be able to sign the 27-year-old at a cut-price this summer.

With that in mind, Football League World asked our Bolton fan pundit, Liam O'Meara, if his club should eye a swoop for Nombe this summer if the South Yorkshire outfit are relegated.

O'Meara told FLW: "With Sam Nombe, he's a very good player, and his statistics for both Exeter and Rotherham are amazing. And every time we play against him, he shows exactly why we were linked with him.

"He particularly has a lot of pedigree at League One level, so he would be a good addition to our team, potentially a permanent option on that right-hand side that can also play centrally as well.

"He would very much fill a gap that maybe we'd have in the summer, once both Rob Apter and Amario Cozier-Duberry return to their parent clubs.

"My only concern is, at 27 years old, £2m feels steep, because for a club like Bolton, we do need to consider resale value, and I don't really see a resale value in signing a 27-year-old Sam Nombe."

Sam Nombe transfer decision will hinge on which divisions Rotherham United and Bolton Wanderers are in next term

As alluded to by O'Meara, Nombe is an impressive attacker at League One level, who excelled for Exeter before joining Rotherham back in 2023.

Meanwhile, the likelihood of whether Bolton choose to buy him from the Millers this summer will depend on whether Wanderers win promotion to the Championship and if the South Yorkshire side are relegated to League Two.

If Clark's side are relegated to the fourth tier, the Greater Manchester club should be able to buy Nombe for less than £2m, which makes his resale value less of a concern.

However, if Schumacher's men win promotion to the Championship, they appear likely to plot more ambitious moves than that of signing the former Exeter star, who has struggled in the second tier with both Luton Town and the Millers.