PSV boss Peter Bosz has explained exactly why Nigeria and Ajax striker Tolu Arokodare is proving so difficult to account for in the Eredivisie, Footynaija reports.
Bosz, speaking about Ajax’s summer rebuild, singled out the 25-year-old forward as the signing that most caught his eye.
“You can see that Ajax has strengthened itself enormously. They have focused on experience. A number of those players are doing very well,” begins Bosz in a major interview with De Telegraaf.
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“They have brought in a big striker (Arokodare),” Bosz said. “That is something we do not really know in the Netherlands.”
At 1.97 metres, Arokodare is not simply a towering target man. His strength allows him to pin defenders, receive direct passes under pressure and bring teammates into play, while his size gives Ajax a new outlet when intricate combinations around the box are blocked.
Ajax signed him from Wolverhampton Wanderers on a season-long loan in July, with an option to buy. The Nigerian had already scored in Latvia, Belgium, France and England before arriving in Amsterdam, including 22 league goals in 32 appearances for Valmiera.
His adaptation has been swift. Arokodare scored 17 minutes into his Ajax debut at Volendam, then supplied an assist against PEC Zwolle in his first Eredivisie appearance. He has since added goals to become a genuine problem for defenders, with three league goals and one assist this season, including a goal against PSV in Ajax’s 3-1 defeat.
Arokodare has never hidden his job description. “Scoring goals is my job, and that’s why I’m here,” he told Ajax after completing his move.
Bosz has seen the problem up close. The rest of the Eredivisie is learning it too.
