‎Tolu Arokodare: 5 things Ajax fans should know about Super Eagles star

Super Eagles striker Tolu Arokodare has just completed a season-long loan move to Dutch Eredivisie side Ajax, with an option of €22 million to buy him permanently, Afrik-Foot reports.

The transfer followed a breakdown in the relationship between the attacker and Wolves. It was reported that the conflict escalated to the extent that he refused to leave the training pitch after the coaching staff declined to allow him train with the team.

Arokodare’s name was also excluded from the first-team preseason campaign, prompting him to release a statement addressing false information that further compromised his image and did not accurately represent what transpired.

Nonetheless, all of that is in the past now, and he will be looking to redeem himself in Amsterdam. In this article, we write about five interesting things you did not know about Arokodare.

This was Tolu’s first day in Amsterdam ❌❌❌ pic.twitter.com/geWOJqLq1f

— AFC Ajax (@AFCAjax) July 29, 2026

5 things Ajax fans should know about Super Eagles star

1. A Golden Boot Winner From Belgium

​Tolu Arokodare, Nigeria’s center-forward, will spend the 2026/2027 campaign at the Johan Cruyff Arena in Amsterdam after his €1 million loan move.

During his time at Wolves, he only managed only six goals and two assists in 38 games. But Arokodare’s ordeal at Wolverhampton Wanderers does not overshadow his exceptional success in the past or his qualities as an excellent striker.

The forward won the Belgian Golden Boot during the 2024/25 season with Genk; he finished as the Belgian Pro League’s top scorer with 21 goals in 30 games. That is more of a reflection of what the Nigerian can do, and he will be looking to replicate his Belgium form in the Netherlands.

2. His Journey to Ajax Spans Five European Countries

​Another unpopular but interesting fact about Arokodare is that his professional career has spanned five different countries. He began at Valmiera in Latvia and moved to FC Köln in Germany. He then joined Amiens in France before moving to Genk in Belgium.

His impressive performances earned him a move to Wolverhampton Wanderers in England before joining Dutch side Ajax in the Netherlands. So this is the sixth different country he will be playing in.

3. Arokodare is a Recipient of the Prestigious Ebony Shoe Award

​The Super Eagles star also has the prestigious Ebony Shoe Award to his name. Arokodare won the 2025 Ebony Shoe, an award presented annually to the best-performing player of African descent in the Belgian Pro League.

He is the sixth Nigerian player to have won the award, after Paul Onuachu claimed it in the 2021/2022 Belgian Pro League campaign. The other Nigerian recipients of this award are Daniel Amokachi, Godwin Okpara, Celestine Babayaro, and Victor Ikpeba.

4. Second Tallest Player At Ajax Now

Following his transfer to Ajax, Arokodare is now the second tallest player at the club at 1.97m. The tallest player at the club is 18-year-old defender Aaron Bouwman, who stands at 1.98m.

He is also by far the tallest attacker at the club, with only Kasper Dolberg being the only one close to him at 1.87m.

Arokodare’s height will give Ajax a different dimension in the final third, as he can provide physicality and aerial presence.

5. Arokodare is a Lagos Boy!

When you listen to Arokodare talk, it is easy to think he actually grew up in Europe or in the US due to his accent.

But that is not the case, as he is a full born and bred Lagos boy. He grew up in Festac Town and spent his youth career playing for local academies like Kash Academy and Box2BoxFC before moving to Europe in 2019.

He is just like Victor Osimhen, Odion Ighalo, and Asisat Oshoala, all of whom grew up on the streets of Lagos.