As the transfer window enters its business end, the fate of Super Eagles striker Tolu Arokodare is one developing story that will be worth keeping an eye on.
The fact that he has yet to secure a move away from Genk and the Belgian top flight is, in itself, a surprise. Following his Golden Boot season in the Jupiler League, his departure was pretty much taken for granted, and the club have earmarked Korea international Hyun-Gyu Oh as a replacement.
And yet, three months later, the 24-year-old admitted to Voetbalkrant following the weekend defeat to Standard Liege, “It’s very frustrating, not knowing what’s going on. You hear rumours, I hear rumours, but have you heard anything concrete yet? I don’t know if I’ll leave this season or next.”
Has anyone been linked to Tolu Arokodare?
On the surface, it is slightly puzzling: never mind a transfer, there has been a scarcity of credible links, with rumours suggesting interest from Premier League clubs like Manchester United and Fulham carrying the stench of agents earning their pay.
Beyond those, the most reported interest has come from AC Milan, who reportedly had him on their striker shortlist behind compatriot Victor Boniface. The Rossoneri have yet to plug that hole in their squad just yet, but there have been no calls put through to Arokodare’s people.
Do Belgian Golden Boot winners always leave right away?
Almost always, but not necessarily.
Part of the reason an Arokodare sale was taken for granted is simply perception. Over time, the Belgian top flight has acquired a reputation for being a stepping stone to stronger leagues, and so when a player excels in it, it is expected that there will be interest in his services.
However, a study of recent history reveals a mixed bag. Over the five seasons preceding 2024/25, of the six players who have won the Golden Boot in Belgium, three were signed immediately following by foreign clubs: In 2020. Jonathan David joined Ligue 1 side Lille, two years later Deniz Undav was signed by Brighton before being loaned back for a further season,and in 2024 Togo striker Kevin Denkey left for the MLS.
Of the other three, two moved after one more season: Dieumerci Mbokani left Antwerp for the Middle East a year on from sharing the Golden Boot with David, while Hugo Cuypers gave Club Crugge another year before moving to MLS. The only player since 2020 who has remained in Belgium for more than one season after finishing as the top flight’s highest goalscorer? Paul Onuachu.
Why does no one want Tolu Arokodare?
Onuachu’s plight might actually offer a decent explanation for the lack of real interest in Arokodare. In terms of play style, both men are broadly similar: they are targetmen at their core, although the latter is more mobile while the former is more composed.
However, in what is essentially a development league, the physical dominance players of their stature can have is greatly exaggerated. This can make strikers of that profile seem better than they are. Standing at 2.01m, Onuachu has 4cm on Arokodare, but when transplanted to the Premier League up against better defenders, that height counted for very little, and he was a decided flop in Southampton colours.
There is also the fact that, objectively, the younger man did not even do as well. His tally of 20 goals is impressive in a vacuum, but factor in that aforementioned size advantage, the fact that Onuachu hit 30 in his year, and the reality that Arokodare’s is also the second-lowest Golden Boot tally in 10 years, and his case reads rather less convincingly.
He may yet get a move in the final weeks of the window, but in a summer when the striker market has been booming, it says something that it has even taken this long.
