Ajax have completed the loan signing of Nigerian striker Tolu Arokodare from Wolverhampton Wanderers, with the 25-year-old joining the Dutch giants for the 2026/27 season. The deal includes an option for Ajax to make the move permanent, reported to be worth around £17-18.8 million.
Tolu Arokodare arrives in Amsterdam after a difficult first season in the Premier League, having joined Wolves for nearly £24 million last summer from Belgian side Genk, where he’d been the Jupiler Pro League’s top scorer. He managed just six goals in 38 appearances at Molineux and fell out of favor under new manager Cesar Peixoto, with reports of a training-ground dispute accelerating his exit.
The 36-time Dutch champions announced the arrival of the Super Eagles striker across its social media platforms on Wednesday afternoon as he becomes the seventh Nigerian player to play for the club after Nwankwo Kanu, Finidi George, Sunday Oliseh, Tijani Babangida, Pius Ikedia and Calvin Bassey.
Ajax sporting director Jordi Cruijff said the club is bringing in a striker profile they previously lacked in the squad. As part of the agreement, Ajax will cover Arokodare’s full wages and pay Wolves a £1 million loan fee, with additional bonuses tied to European qualification.
In his first interview as an Ajax player, Arokodare spoke about his admiration for Nigerian compatriot and Ajax legend Nwankwo Kanu, describing him as a role model. Kanu, who won the Champions League with Ajax in the 1990s, remains one of the club’s most celebrated foreign players, and Arokodare’s comments reflect his hope of carving out a similar legacy in Amsterdam.
The Nigerian international, who stands at 6’6″ and wears the number 99 shirt, has previously played in Latvia, Germany, France, and Belgium before his Premier League move. He’ll now aim to rebuild his form and confidence in the Eredivisie, with Ajax also active in the Conference League this season following their play-off progress.
