Wolverhampton Wanderers are set to give Nigerian striker Tolu Arokodare his Premier League debut this weekend against Newcastle United — and it couldn’t come at a more important time.
Wolves are in trouble after losing three league games in a row. They were beaten 4-0 by Manchester City, lost 1-0 to Bournemouth, and suffered a painful 3-2 defeat against Everton.
A League Cup win over West Ham gave fans some hope, but the team lost forward Matheus Cunha to Manchester United. Coach Vítor Pereira is now looking for someone new to lead the attack.
That’s where Arokodare comes in. The 24-year-old striker joined Wolves from Belgian club Genk on the last day of the transfer window and has already made an impression.
Right after signing for Wolves, he flew to Nigeria to join the Super Eagles. When star striker Victor Osimhen got injured against Rwanda, Arokodare stepped in and scored the winning goal in a 1-0 World Cup qualifier.
A few days later, he nearly scored a late winner against South Africa in a 1-1 draw. These performances convinced Wolves he might be more than just a backup option.
Arokodare scored 21 goals last season in Belgium, finishing as joint top scorer. However, he missed more chances than expected — his stats show he scored 7.6 fewer goals than he was expected to. Wolves fans will hope he becomes more clinical in England.
Tough Test Ahead
The match against Newcastle won’t be easy. Newcastle have scored in every one of their 20 Premier League matches against Wolves and have only lost twice.
Wolves, on the other hand, are in danger of making unwanted history — they’ve never lost their first four league games in a season in 127 years.
Still, Wolves seem confident. On social media, they’ve already started a campaign featuring Arokodare’s face with the message: “We take on Newcastle next. ⏳” The message is clear — they believe it’s time for him to shine.
For Arokodare, who was born in Festac Town, Nigeria, playing in the Premier League at St. James’ Park is a dream come true. For Wolves, it could be the spark they need to turn their season around.