Abdulmalik Ready to Reach the Top After Djurgarden Bid Rejected
Abdul Abdulmalik believes his career is ready to explode. His club are trying to hold the line.
The Boreham Wood forward has insisted he is "capable of reaching the top" after the National League side turned down a £1.5m offer from Swedish club Djurgarden – a bid that would have rewritten the record books for a player at his level.
The 23-year-old has been the subject of sustained interest from the Allsvenskan outfit, who already saw a £1m approach knocked back earlier this month. Djurgarden came back stronger. Boreham Wood’s answer stayed the same.
Manager Luke Garrard underlined that stance at the weekend, pointedly stressing "he is our player" after Abdulmalik was left out of the squad for the club’s 3-0 win over Forest Green on Saturday.
If the club are digging in, the player is pushing just as hard in the opposite direction.
In a statement released through his agent, Abdulmalik paid tribute to Boreham Wood and their support, but made it clear he feels the time has come to move.
"Everyone at Boreham Wood FC and the incredible fans have played a massive part in my journey. You will always have my respect," he said.
"With this said, I'm ready for the next challenge. I'm ready to prove to myself and those around me that I'm capable of reaching the top."
Those words carry weight because of what he has just produced. Abdulmalik is coming off a breakout 2025-26 campaign in which he scored 17 goals and laid on 10 assists, driving Boreham Wood to the National League play-off final. Under the arch at Wembley, he both scored and assisted, stamping his name on the biggest day of the club’s season.
Djurgarden’s £1.5m bid reflects that rise. Had Boreham Wood accepted, it would have set a new benchmark for a player from England’s fifth tier, surpassing the £1m Leicester City paid Fleetwood Town for Jamie Vardy back in 2012.
For Abdulmalik, this is about more than numbers on a balance sheet.
"Through sheer hard work and perseverance, the opportunity to progress has come around," he continued. "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 framed the moment as a rare opening for a player operating outside the glare of the top four divisions.
"Opportunities like this are rare, especially within the National League where some of the hardest working talent is overlooked," he said. "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."
That sense of urgency is rooted in his own journey. Abdulmalik came through Millwall’s academy, rising through the youth ranks and representing England at under-17 level. He helped Millwall’s Under-21s secure back-to-back Professional Development League South titles in 2022-23 and 2023-24, but the pathway to consistent senior football never truly opened up.
Released in 2024, he signed for Boreham Wood as a free agent. Two seasons on, he is the subject of a seven-figure tug-of-war and talking openly about testing himself on a bigger stage.
Boreham Wood, for now, are standing firm. The player is publicly pushing for progression. The record-breaking offer is on the table.
Something has to give.
