Tolu Arokodare: Uyo brace builds Ajax’s case for a permanent deal

Super Eagles striker Tolu Arokodare took his scoring run at Ajax into Nigeria's 3-1 win over Tanzania in Uyo, and every goal now adds weight to the option Ajax hold to sign him permanently from Wolverhampton Wanderers next summer.

Arokodare came on at half-time on Friday and scored twice in eight minutes, the second from a low cross by fellow substitute Moses Usor. It took him into the international break with 13 goals in 17 appearances for Ajax in all competitions, seven of them in the Eredivisie.

That run follows a difficult spell in England. Wolves signed him from Genk in September 2025, and he made 38 appearances and scored six goals before the loan, three of them in the Premier League, according to the Molineux club's own record.

What the Ajax deal says

Ajax announced on 29 July that Arokodare had joined on a one-season loan, with an option to make the move permanent. Wolves confirmed the same day that the Dutch club hold an option to sign the striker permanently next summer.

Neither club published the price of the option, and reported figures for it differ. Ajax's Jordi Cruijff explained the thinking behind the move when the deal was announced on the Ajax website.

“With Tolu, we are bringing in a striker with a profile that we did not previously have in the squad.”

Chelle offered his own endorsement after the Tanzania game. Speaking at his post-match press conference, as reported by Legit.ng, the Super Eagles coach said: “If you give him the ball in the box, he's one of the best strikers in the world.”

Analysis: The option looks more like a formality than a gamble

When Ajax took Arokodare in July, the option carried a risk. A striker with six goals in 38 Wolves games was signed for his profile, which is exactly how Cruijff described it.

Four months on, the numbers have changed the conversation. Thirteen goals in 17 games is the output of a first-choice No. 9, and goals for Nigeria in a qualifier only raise his profile with clubs watching the market.

That cuts both ways. A permanent deal looks easier to justify with every goal, but a striker in this form also gives Arokodare a stronger hand in any talks about his own terms.

If the run continues to the end of the season, the decision is likely to be about the price, not the player. Soccernet's look at his form before Tanzania set the bar, and Uyo cleared it. The January window deadlines facing other Nigerians do not apply to him, since the option is a summer decision.

Next up is Tuesday's return leg in Zanzibar, where Arokodare will hope a half-time cameo turns into a start.