Wolves Leave Out Super Eagles Striker Tolu Arokodare After Training Ground Row

Wolverhampton Wanderers have omitted Super Eagles striker Tolu Arokodare from the squad set to face Maidenhead United in a pre‑season friendly after an alleged disciplinary incident at the club’s Compton Park training ground.

According to journalist Nathan Judah, Wolves cancelled a first‑team training session after Arokodare reportedly refused to leave the pitch when instructed not to train with the first team. The club subsequently tightened security at Compton Park the following day to ensure he was not present.

“Understand Wolves training was cancelled yesterday following Tolu Arokodare’s refusal to leave the pitch when asked not to train with squad. Cesar Peixoto seemingly not tolerating ‘player power’ & poor discipline levels. Extra security enforced today at Compton Park to make sure he was not at training ground. Arokodare will not be part of the squad travelling to Maidenhead United tomorrow night.”
Nathan Judah

The 25‑year‑old’s exclusion from first‑team activities has been confirmed by manager Cesar Peixoto, who left him out of the travelling squad for the Maidenhead United fixture.

Arokodare’s debut season in England has been challenging. After his €26 million move from Belgian side KRC Genk, he scored just three Premier League goals in 33 appearances as Wolves finished bottom and were relegated to the Championship.

His campaign was further marred by discipline problems. In April he was fined and temporarily dropped after being identified as the aggressor in a dressing‑room altercation with teammate Mateus Mane following a 4‑0 defeat to West Ham United.

Peixoto had already signalled that he was not central to his plans by omitting him from the pre‑season training camp in Portugal. The return of experienced forward Raul Jimenez has also limited his chances of regular minutes after a

Arokodare has informed the club this summer, but negotiations have stalled because Wolves are holding out for more than €20 million fee to recoup most of their investment.

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Peixoto had already signalled the striker was no longer central to his plans by leaving him out of Wolves’ pre‑season training camp in Portugal. The return of experienced forward Raul Jimenez has further reduced his chances of regular football.

The Nigerian international has told Wolves he wants to leave this summer, but talks have stalled as the club reportedly holds out for more than €20 million to recover the bulk of the transfer fee. Serie A sides Genoa and Fiorentina are said to be interested, with Fiorentina reportedly submitting an improved loan offer that includes a €22 million option to buy. Turkish club Trabzonspor previously had a bid accepted, but Arokodare rejected it, preferring to stay in one of Europe’s top five leagues.

The dispute coincides with FIFA’s recent revisions to the Regulations on the Status and Transfer of Players, especially Article 17, which aim to stop clubs from isolating contracted players to force transfers. Under the updated rules, a player should continue training with the first team unless there is a legitimate sporting or medical reason for exclusion. Breaches can lead to financial penalties, transfer restrictions, sporting sanctions, and possibly allow the player to terminate his contract without a transfer fee.