Wolverhampton Wanderers are ready to hand Tolu Arokodare his Premier League debut when they visit Newcastle United this weekend, and the Nigerian striker could not have picked a more pivotal moment to step in, Soccernet.ng reports.
Wolves are already staring at a crisis after three straight league defeats. They have been swept aside by Manchester City (4-0), edged by Bournemouth (1-0), and left heartbroken by Everton (3-2).
A League Cup win over West Ham offered a flicker of promise, but the departure of Matheus Cunha to Manchester United has left Vitor Pereira searching desperately for firepower.
Enter Tolu Arokodare. Signed from Genk on deadline day, the 24-year-old has wasted no time making headlines.
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Within hours of putting pen to paper at Molineux, he was back in Nigeria linking up with the Super Eagles. And when Victor Osimhen limped off against Rwanda, Arokodare stepped in and immediately delivered, scoring the only goal in a 1-0 World Cup qualifier victory.
Three days later against South Africa, he again came off the bench and almost nicked a winner, firing narrowly wide in a 1-1 draw. It was enough to convince Wolves that he might be more than just a backup to Jørgen Strand Larsen.
At his unveiling, the striker spoke with conviction:
“It feels amazing to be here. It did take a while, but I’m here finally and I’m happy to be here,” Arokodare said.
“I didn’t need convincing. I know the history of the club, and the players that have been here and how they’ve progressed. I like the project of the club and that’s what I want for myself — to improve myself and help this team.
“I think I’ll fit in pretty good because if you look at the strikers we have now, we’re almost the same profile. So I think it won’t be difficult for me to adapt.”
The numbers suggest promise but also caution. Tolu Arokodare finished last season as joint-top scorer in Belgium with 21 goals but underperformed his expected goals tally by a staggering 7.6, the biggest gap in the division. Wolves fans will hope he sharpens that accuracy quickly in England.
The fixture itself offers little comfort. Newcastle have scored in all 20 of their Premier League meetings with Wolves and have lost only twice to them in the competition.
Wolves, meanwhile, are flirting with unwanted history, they have never before lost their first four games of a league season in 127 years of football.
We take on Newcastle next. ⏳ pic.twitter.com/2vQlOotJNH
— Wolves (@Wolves) September 10, 2025
Still, Wolves’ social media team have already made their statement, posting a campaign built around Arokodare’s face with the caption: “We take on Newcastle next. ⏳” The message is clear: this is the moment to unleash him.
For Festac Town-born Arokodare, making his debut in the Premier League, at St. James’ Park, will be the realisation of a long-held dream. For Wolves, it may be the spark they desperately need.