Tolu Arokodare’s move to Wolverhampton Wanderers last summer looked, on paper, like a significant step forward for the Super Eagles striker, Footynaija.com reports.
Following a prolific season at Genk, where he contributed 23 goals and seven assists in 45 appearances, Arokodare was among the Nigerian players expected to secure a major transfer, and a £22.5 million move to the Premier League appeared to be exactly that.
The reality has been considerably less flattering, and revelations about how the deal came together raise questions about whether it was ever built on solid ground.
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Wolves’ recruitment in the summer of 2025 was a club insider’s nightmare. They failed to get the players they really wanted, and the chaos behind the scenes was not fully visible to the public until now.
The relegated club ended a nine-year stay in the Premier League this season, and the story of how Arokodare came to Molineux is at the centre of that wider collapse.
A signing Pereira didn’t want
According to the Express and Star in a breakdown of the club’s recruitment, former head coach Vitor Pereira had been clear with the Wolves hierarchy that he did not want Arokodare.
But in their fruitless search for another striker, Pereira had to sign off on the only player they could get over the line. The publication described the situation plainly as “a mess.”
It is understood that sporting director Domenico Teti pushed the deal through despite Pereira’s objections, which explains why the Nigerian striker lacked consistent playing time during Pereira’s tenure before the Portuguese coach was eventually sacked.
Arokodare has featured in 33 games across the season, mainly as a substitute. He recorded just six goals and two assists.
