Super Eagles: 2 ways Arokodare’s unusual profile could make him an Ajax icon

Super Eagles striker Tolu Arokodare has already given Ajax something different from the traditional attacking profile associated with the Dutch giants, but turning that difference into a defining strength still needs work, Afrik-Foot reports.

The 25-year-old joined Ajax from Wolverhampton Wanderers on a season-long loan in the summer, with the Dutch club holding an option to make the move permanent.

Arokodare arrived in Amsterdam after a difficult first season in England, but his reputation had already been established in Belgium, where he finished the 2024/25 campaign as a joint top scorer after netting 21 league goals for Genk.

More importantly, his numbers revealed the type of striker Ajax were acquiring.

The Nigerian is 1.97 metres tall and has developed a reputation as a powerful penalty-box striker. He recorded the highest number of shots, touches in the penalty area and headed attempts on target in the Belgian top flight during his final season with Genk.

That unusual profile has now caught the attention of Peter Bosz, the former Ajax and Borussia Dortmund coach.

The current PSV boss recently praised Ajax’s summer recruitment and specifically highlighted Arokodare.

“They have brought in a big striker, something we don’t really know in the Netherlands,” Bosz said in quotes revealed by Ajax Showtime.

For Arokodare, however, being different is only the beginning. If he can turn that difference into consistent production, he could become much more than another striker passing through Ajax.

How Super Eagles striker’s role could make him an Ajax icon

1. Arokodare can give Ajax a physical dimension

Ajax have traditionally been associated with possession, technical quality and intricate attacking combinations, built around short-quick passes to exploit space.

Arokodare can complement those qualities rather than simply replacing them.

His 1.97m frame gives Ajax a genuine physical reference point in the final third, allowing them to bypass pressure when necessary, attack crosses and play more directly against teams that successfully close down their passing options.

That was part of the reason Ajax signed him. When announcing the transfer, then sporting director Jordi Cruyff described Arokodare as a “physically strong player” who had already proven himself as a goalscorer.

The Nigerian’s record at Genk provides evidence that his physicality is not simply about winning aerial battles.

Of his 56 league goals since leaving Latvia, Ajax noted that all were scored inside the penalty area, while 11 came with his head.

That combination could make Arokodare particularly valuable in matches where Ajax’s possession game struggles to create clear chances.

2. He must turn his penalty-box dominance into an Ajax legacy

The second step is the most important. A physical striker can be useful. An Ajax striker who consistently turns that physical advantage into goals becomes unforgettable.

Arokodare has already shown he has the scoring instincts required. His 21-goal league campaign at Genk was not built around one particular type of finish.

That suggests his biggest strength is not simply his height. It is his ability to consistently get himself into scoring positions.

He has also begun translating that quality to Amsterdam. Arokodare has scored three Eredivisie goals and provided one assist this season, while also adding three goals in the Conference League.

The numbers are still from a small sample, but they show why Ajax could eventually view the loan as more than a short-term solution.

For Arokodare to become an Ajax icon, however, he will need to sustain that output over a much longer period. The opportunity is there.

Ajax have already identified that he possesses a profile they did not have before his arrival. Bosz has now independently pointed to the same difference.

The Nigerian’s challenge is to ensure that what makes him unusual in Dutch football also becomes what makes him indispensable to Ajax.