Ajax Amsterdam have signed Nigeria striker Tolu Arokodare on a season-long loan from Wolverhampton Wanderers, the Dutch club confirmed on Wednesday, with the agreement including an option to make the deal permanent.
The loan runs until the summer of 2027. Arokodare, 25, joins after a first season in England in which he was used mainly from the bench as Wolves were relegated from the Premier League, though he still scored six goals in all competitions.
Ajax technical director Jordi Cruyff said the striker adds a profile the squad lacked. ‘With Tolu, we are bringing in a striker with a profile that we did not previously have in the squad,’ Cruyff said. ‘He is a physically strong player who has already proven himself to be a goal scorer. We are confident that he will make an important contribution to the team next season.’
Arokodare, born in Festac, Lagos, on 23 November 2000, began his career with Box2Box FC before moving to Europe in 2019 with Latvian side Valmiera FC. He went on to play for 1. FC Köln in Germany and Amiens SC in France, before joining KRC Genk in Belgium in the winter of 2023, where he finished as the Jupiler Pro League’s top scorer in the 2024-25 season. That form earned him his move to Wolves in mid-2025. He has ten caps for the Super Eagles.
Arokodare himself called the move a landmark moment. ‘It’s amazing, it’s a really nice feeling,’ he said. ‘Since I was a kid I’ve known about them and I never imagined myself playing for them.’
Ajax are already into their Conference League qualifying campaign. They host Vojvodina in the second leg of their second qualifying round tie on Thursday, leading 4-1 from the first meeting in Serbia.