Mossou praises Arokodare, unique striker on the way to Eredivisie top

Tolu Arokodare, the Nigerian striker of Ajax, started the past two matches unexpectedly on the bench, but after his substitute performance against Atalanta Bergamo in the Conference League, in which Ajax won 2‑0, he returns to the starting eleven this season.

Loan agreement with purchase option

Arokodare is on loan from Wolverhampton Wanderers with a purchase option. The Nigerian arrived this summer unexpectedly in the transfer frenzy at Ajax, a “tropical surprise” according to Sjoerd Mossou, and was positioned between Marcos Leonardo and Julian Brandt in the squad.

Mossou’s praise and comparisons

“To be honest, I had never heard of Tolu Arokodare,” Mossou said. “This summer Tolu suddenly blew in the transfer frenzy at Ajax, as a tropical surprise, somewhere between Marcos Leonardo and Julian Brandt.” He added that Arokodare is now “my favourite footballer of the Eredivisie season 2026/2027, with some distance,” partly because of his charm during press conferences.

Van der Gijp praises Ajax backline with Ter Stegen and Blind

Mossou emphasized that Arokodare is equally impressive off the pitch: he asks questions, makes jokes and gives flowery answers, something that rarely happens at press conferences. According to Mossou, the striker seems to play in another physical dimension, a “Big Friendly Giant” that stands out from other Eredivisie players.

René van der Gijp also described Arokodare as rare: “He won the golden shoe at Racing Genk, left for a lot of money and ended up at a relegation club. How many chances do you get then in a month? Two? I don’t think he’s bad.” Mossou concludes that the season is still young and that only in a few years the full impact of Arokodare can be measured.

Julian Brandt thrills Ajax, convinces van der Vaart's critics