Nigeria international Tolu Arokodare has admitted he thought his agent was joking when he first heard Ajax wanted to sign him, after sealing a season-long loan move from Wolverhampton Wanderers.
Tolu Arokodare, 25, completed his switch to the Dutch giants on Wednesday, July 29, and will wear the number 99 shirt during his spell in Amsterdam. Ajax also hold an option to make the transfer permanent next summer for a fee believed to be around £17m.
Speaking to Ajax’s official website, Arokodare said the opportunity to join one of Europe’s most famous clubs was beyond anything he had expected.
“I could never have imagined that I would play here. Not because I do not want to, but because everyone knows this club. In Nigeria, no one watches the Eredivisie, but everyone knows Ajax,” he said.
“When my agent said Ajax were interested, I thought he was joking. As I said, I never expected this. I immediately thought: I want this. It is the biggest club in the Netherlands and one of the biggest in Europe.”
Naija News reports that Arokodare joined Wolves from Belgian side Genk in a £24m move last summer. He scored six goals in 38 appearances across all competitions during his first season in England, but speculation over his future intensified throughout the transfer window, with Serie A side Fiorentina among the clubs linked with the striker.
His departure follows a turbulent period at Molineux. Earlier this month, reports claimed Arokodare refused to leave the training pitch after being told he would no longer train with the first team, prompting additional security measures at the club’s training ground. The striker dismissed those allegations on social media.
Wolves confirmed the loan move in a short statement, noting that Arokodare had started only one of the club’s final 10 Premier League matches last season. The club did not include comments from the head coach or sporting director.
Arokodare will not be available for Ajax’s UEFA Conference League second-leg meeting with FK Vojvodina on Thursday because he is not registered for the fixture. The Dutch side take a commanding 4-1 aggregate advantage into the tie.
