Tolu Arokodare has completed a season-long loan move to Ajax from Wolverhampton Wanderers, with the Dutch giants confirming the deal on their official website on Wednesday. As a result, the Super Eagles striker becomes the latest in a long line of Nigerian players to wear the famous red and white shirt.
According to the agreement, Ajax will pay Wolves a £1 million loan fee and cover Arokodare’s full wages for the duration of his stay in Amsterdam. Furthermore, the deal includes an option for Ajax to make the move permanent next summer for around €22 million, with performance-related add-ons that could push the fee higher if the club qualifies for European football. The striker has signed until the summer of 2027 and will wear the number 99 shirt.
Speaking on the signing, Ajax technical director Jordi Cruijff said the club was bringing in “a spits met een profiel dat we nog niet in de selectie hadden,” which translates to a striker with a profile the squad previously lacked. He added that Ajax trusts Arokodare to prove his value to the team over the course of the season.
Arokodare’s path to Ajax has taken him through four countries. He began his senior career at Box2Box FC in Nigeria before moving to Latvian side Valmiera in 2019, where he scored freely. A loan to Bundesliga club Köln followed, though he struggled to make an impact there.
He subsequently rebuilt his reputation at Amiens in France before joining Genk in January 2023, where he eventually finished as the Jupiler Pro League’s top scorer during the 2024/25 season. That form earned him a big-money move to Wolves last summer, though his single season in the Premier League proved difficult, with reports of training-ground friction contributing to his exit. Consequently, Ajax now represents a fresh start, and one many observers believe suits his profile far better than English football did.
Arokodare’s arrival extends a Nigerian tradition at Ajax that stretches back three decades. He joins a list that includes Nwankwo Kanu, Finidi George, Sunday Oliseh, Tijani Babangida, Pius Ikedia and Calvin Bassey, all of whom left their mark on the club at different points.
Meanwhile, for the Super Eagles, regular football in the Eredivisie could prove decisive. Nigeria’s forward line remains fiercely contested, with Victor Osimhen, Victor Boniface, Paul Onuachu, Akor Adams and Rafiu Durosinmi all competing for places under coach Eric Chelle. As a result, consistent minutes and goals for Ajax would strengthen Arokodare’s case for a recall ahead of Nigeria’s 2027 AFCON qualifying campaign, which begins in September.
Arokodare is set to work under new Ajax head coach Míchel, who arrived in Amsterdam following his exit from Girona. However, regular starts are not guaranteed straight away, as he will have to fight for a place ahead of Marcos Leonardo, Kasper Dolberg and Don-Angelo Konadu in attack. Following his unveiling, attention will turn to whether he features in Ajax’s upcoming Conference League qualifier against Vojvodina, or in the club’s remaining pre-season friendlies, as he looks to hit the ground running in Dutch football once again.
