Abdul Abdulmalik Pushes for Boreham Wood Exit After £1.5m Djurgarden Bid

Boreham Wood forward Abdul Abdulmalik has publicly indicated that he wants a new challenge after the National League club rejected a £1.5 million offer from Swedish top-flight side Djurgarden. BBC Sport reported that the 23-year-old made his position clear in a statement released through his agent.

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Djurgarden’s latest proposal followed an earlier £1 million bid that Boreham Wood also turned down this month. The English club does not want to sell the forward, and manager Luke Garrard stressed that Abdulmalik remains under Boreham Wood’s control after leaving him out of Saturday’s 3-0 victory over Forest Green.

In his statement, Abdulmalik thanked the club and its supporters for their role in his development while explaining that he feels ready to test himself at a higher level. He described the opportunity as rare for a National League player and said he wants to pursue it rather than assume another chance will arrive later.

The interest follows Abdulmalik’s breakthrough 2025-26 campaign. He scored 17 goals and supplied 10 assists as Boreham Wood advanced to the National League play-off final. At Wembley, he both scored and provided an assist, strengthening a season that attracted attention beyond England’s fifth tier.

BBC Sport reported that a completed £1.5 million transfer would set a record for a player bought from England’s fifth tier. The current benchmark cited in the report is the £1 million Leicester City paid Fleetwood Town for Jamie Vardy in 2012. Boreham Wood’s decision to reject the offer means that potential record has not been completed, and no agreement between the clubs has been announced.

Abdulmalik developed in Millwall’s academy and represented England at under-17 level. He was part of Millwall Under-21 teams that won consecutive Professional Development League South titles in 2022-23 and 2023-24, but he did not secure regular first-team football and was released in 2024. Boreham Wood then signed him as a free agent. BBC Sport said it had approached the club for comment, leaving Abdulmalik’s statement, the rejected bids and the club’s reluctance to sell as the confirmed state of the situation.