Six months after being cast as a disruptive figure at Wolverhampton Wanderers, Nigerian forward Tolu Arokodare has become one of Dutch football’s most in-form attackers, thriving on loan at Ajax and winning over supporters in Amsterdam.
Key takeaways
- Arokodare has registered 10 goals in 15 appearances in all competitions since joining Ajax from Wolves.
- Ajax can make the 25-year-old’s move permanent through a €20 million purchase clause.
- The striker has rejected claims that he caused problems during his final spell at Wolves.
- Ajax goalkeeper Marc-André ter Stegen’s late save secured Saturday’s 1-0 victory over AZ Alkmaar.
- Arokodare scored twice and supplied an assist in Ajax’s 6-1 Conference League win against FC Midtjylland.
From Wolves controversy to an Ajax revival
“This is an enormous club. You sense it everywhere,” Arokodare said, visibly delighted by his new surroundings.
“I get on with everybody here. Ajax is like paradise to me. The training facilities are excellent, the stadium is beautiful, the supporters are fantastic and I enjoy the way we play.”
His experience in Amsterdam could scarcely be more different from the difficult final stretch of his Wolves career.
Arokodare arrived at Ajax on a summer loan deal and has made an immediate impact, finding the net 10 times in 15 matches across competitions. His return works out at roughly one goal every 1.5 games, marking a dramatic turnaround for the striker.
Ajax have the opportunity to sign him outright for €20 million, a fee that is increasingly looking modest given his early contribution.
The Wolves episode he avoided discussing
Reports last summer alleged that Arokodare had prompted Wolves to abandon a training session when he would not leave the field after an argument with coach Cesar Peixoto.
When asked about the incident by Belgian publication HLN, the forward initially reacted by shaking his head.
“For a long time, I didn’t want to say anything about it,” he said.
But he then addressed the accusations publicly for the first time.
“If I was really such a terrible person, why am I still receiving messages from them?” he asked, referring to former Wolves players, coaches and other club employees. “Ask them.”
Arokodare believes both Wolves and media coverage presented an unfair picture of him.
“They have portrayed me as a bad person. It’s horrible, because that is not me at all,” he said.
He also referred to Wolves’ brief statement confirming his exit, which mentioned only his total of three Premier League goals.
“They can describe me however they want; I no longer care. I know who I am, and I hope the truth emerges someday.”
At Ajax, he has begun making his case through his performances week after week.
Confidence, competition and Ajax’s progress
Ajax had finished fifth in last season’s Eredivisie and were required to negotiate the UEFA Conference League qualifying play-offs, leaving the club with significant rebuilding work to do.
Arokodare was among 12 recruits brought in during the summer as part of that reset, and he has quickly become a prominent figure in the team’s resurgence.
He reserved particular praise for two new colleagues, highlighting Julian Brandt’s awareness and his ability to judge when a first-time pass is needed and when he should turn away.
Arokodare also joked about Barcelona loanee Marc-André ter Stegen, who has taken over as Ajax’s goalkeeper.
“Ter Stegen makes me crazy in training,” he said. “It can be unbelievably frustrating when he saves shot after shot. It makes you feel like hitting him.”
He immediately made clear that the comment was intended as admiration rather than a threat.
The 34-year-old has established himself as Ajax’s No. 1, recording four clean sheets in 14 matches while producing a number of notable saves.
On Saturday, he made a decisive late intervention to protect Ajax’s 1-0 success over AZ Alkmaar after Arokodare had scored. It was Ajax’s first win against those opponents in five years.
Ter Stegen has also had to rebuild his career. Injuries and off-field speculation last season saw him lose both the starting role and captaincy at Barcelona. He moved to Girona on loan during the winter window in an effort to protect his World Cup ambitions, but suffered a major thigh injury requiring surgery after only two appearances. He was unable to stop Girona from being relegated, the first relegation of his career.
Like Arokodare, he is now seeking a fresh start in Amsterdam.
Arokodare delivered another outstanding display on Thursday night, scoring two goals and creating one more as Ajax overwhelmed FC Midtjylland 6-1 in the Conference League.
Yet his greatest satisfaction after the final whistle concerned a goal in which he played no role.
Reporter Noa Vahle suggested that he had been especially pleased by Marcos Leonardo’s strike for 1-6. The Brazilian scored his third Ajax goal after coming on for Arokodare in the 70th minute.
“How did you know that?” Arokodare replied with a smile. “It’s true. When he scored, I said that everything was perfect now.”
“I have said before that he works hard. People might not have seen that once he had made it 1-6, he was still pressing intensely, even in the 92nd minute. I told him that showed the right mentality.”
“I’m delighted for him, and it was a fine goal as well. Hopefully it gives him extra confidence. This is a team game: if I don’t score, then hopefully Leo does. If Leo does not score, then another player can. If everybody contributes goals, the team wins.”
Ajax great and analyst Ronald de Boer said the remarks were characteristic of Arokodare.
“It offers an insight into how the squad is developing and indicates that the atmosphere within the group is positive,” De Boer said.
“To speak this way about a team-mate who is also, in a sense, competing with you is significant. You can sometimes think it is just for appearances, but you can see that he genuinely means it. It is encouraging, and I’m sure the coach will appreciate it.”
“You have a forward overflowing with confidence. He already has 12 goals. He managed six last season and said he wanted to treble that total, meaning at least 18. He is moving in the right direction, and right now he is clearly the first-choice striker.”
A strong October and ambitions beyond one campaign
Arokodare’s October was particularly productive, as he scored four times in six league outings.
He was nominated after eye-catching goals against Atalanta in the UEFA Europa Conference League and AZ Alkmaar in the Eredivisie.
Against Atalanta, he controlled a long delivery from Youri Baas, beat a defender and finished calmly past the goalkeeper.
In the AZ match, he outjumped Mees de Wit and headed in the decisive goal only nine minutes after kick-off.
Abdellah Ouazane, Davy Klaassen, Leo Salazar, Abdoulaye Camara and Naoufal Mouslim were also among the nominees.
Ajax sit second in the Eredivisie, one point behind leaders Feyenoord. In the Conference League, they responded to defeat against Hajduk Split by beating Atalanta Bergamo 2-0.
With his loan move progressing so successfully, Arokodare wants to sustain both his level and his place in the side, while also extending his stay at the club.
“I pray that it continues this way. I am working hard for it because I do not want to be a one-season wonder,” he said.
“I want the rest of my career to resemble this season. Keeping your performance level consistently high is the most difficult thing.”
Having gone from Wolves scapegoat to Ajax favourite, Arokodare has found the environment he describes as heaven. If his goals continue at this rate, Amsterdam will have every reason to ensure he remains there.
