Abdulmalik ready to reach the top after Boreham Wood reject £1.5m bid

Abdul Abdulmalik believes his next step has to be up, not sideways. Right now, his club are standing in the way.

The 23-year-old Boreham Wood forward has gone public with his ambition after the National League side turned down a £1.5m offer from Swedish top-flight club Djurgarden – a bid that would have set a new record fee for a player from England’s fifth tier.

“I’m ready for the next challenge,” Abdulmalik said in a statement released through his agent. “I’m ready to prove to myself and those around me that I’m capable of reaching the top.”

Boreham Wood dig in

Djurgarden’s interest has been serious and sustained. An initial £1m approach earlier this month was rejected. Their improved £1.5m offer has met the same response.

Boreham Wood’s stance is clear: they do not want to sell. Manager Luke Garrard underlined that position at the weekend, stressing “he is our player” after leaving Abdulmalik out of the squad for the club’s 3-0 win over Forest Green on Saturday.

Behind the scenes, the tug-of-war is now out in the open. On one side, a National League club determined to keep its star asset. On the other, a forward who sees a rare door opening and is desperate to walk through it.

“Everyone at Boreham Wood FC and the incredible fans have played a massive part in my journey. You will always have my respect,” Abdulmalik said. “With this said, I’m ready for the next challenge.”

A breakout season that changed everything

The strength of Djurgarden’s pursuit is rooted in Abdulmalik’s explosive 2025-26 campaign. He delivered 17 goals and 10 assists as Boreham Wood surged to the National League play-off final.

On the biggest stage of their season, at Wembley, he both scored and set one up. That performance – and his season as a whole – shoved him firmly onto the radar of clubs far above the fifth tier.

Djurgarden’s £1.5m offer would eclipse the long-standing benchmark for a non-league sale, set in 2012 when Leicester City paid Fleetwood Town £1m for Jamie Vardy. To reject that level of money for a National League player is a statement. It also cranks up the pressure on all sides.

“Opportunities like this are rare”

Abdulmalik’s words carry the tone of someone who knows how quickly the game can turn.

“Through sheer hard work and perseverance, the opportunity to progress has come around,” he said. “This is my chance to push myself as a footballer, elevate my game and most importantly fulfil my promise to the ones around me.”

He did not stop there.

“Opportunities like this are rare, especially within the National League where some of the hardest working talent is overlooked. The game of football is forever changing and decisions are fast paced. There’s no guarantee that the same chances come knocking twice.

“I owe it to myself and the kids growing up just like me to fight for this one I’ve been offered.”

It is not a transfer request in the traditional sense, but it is a clear, public plea: let me go and test myself.

From Millwall release to £1.5m tug-of-war

Abdulmalik’s route to this point has not been smooth.

He came through Millwall’s academy, rising through the youth ranks and representing England at under-17 level. He played a central role in the club’s Under-21s success, helping secure back-to-back Professional Development League South titles in 2022-23 and 2023-24.

The next step never arrived. A regular pathway into the first team failed to materialise, and in 2024 Millwall released him. Boreham Wood moved quickly, signing him as a free agent.

Two years on, that free signing has turned into a multi-million-pound battleground.

BBC Sport has contacted Boreham Wood for comment. For now, the silence from the club contrasts sharply with the clarity of their striker’s message: he believes he is ready to climb, and he does not want this chance to vanish.