Abdul Abdulmalik: Ready to Reach the Top After £1.5m Bid Rejected

Abdul Abdulmalik insists he is “capable of reaching the top” after Boreham Wood rejected a £1.5m bid from Swedish side Djurgarden for the in-demand forward.

The National League club have already turned down an earlier £1m offer from the Allsvenskan outfit this month and remain adamant they do not want to sell the 23-year-old. Manager Luke Garrard underlined that stance at the weekend, stressing “he is our player” after Abdulmalik was left out of Boreham Wood’s 3-0 win over Forest Green.

A striker pushing for his next step

Abdulmalik, whose form has dragged him into the spotlight, made his position clear in a statement released through his agent.

“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 after the season he has just delivered. In 2025-26, Abdulmalik produced a breakout campaign: 17 goals, 10 assists, and a starring role in Boreham Wood’s run to the National League play-off final. On the biggest stage of their season, at Wembley, he both scored and set one up.

Djurgarden’s latest proposal reflects that surge. Their £1.5m bid would have set a new record fee for a player from England’s fifth tier, eclipsing the £1m Leicester paid Fleetwood Town for Jamie Vardy back in 2012.

“Opportunities like this are rare”

For Abdulmalik, the move represents more than a number 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.

“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.”

The tension is obvious: a club determined to hold on to its talisman against a player who feels the door he has been chasing for years has finally opened.

From Millwall hopeful to National League headline

Abdulmalik’s rise has not followed a straight line. He came through Millwall’s academy, climbed through their youth ranks and represented England at under-17 level. With the Lions’ Under-21s he collected back-to-back Professional Development League South titles in 2022-23 and 2023-24.

The senior breakthrough never came. Millwall released him in 2024, leaving him to rebuild his career. Boreham Wood moved quickly, signing him on a free and handing him the platform he has now seized.

His performances have drawn interest from abroad and pushed him to the edge of a record-breaking transfer, yet for the moment he remains a Boreham Wood player. The club have been contacted for comment.

The next decision – club or country, security or ambition – may define not just his season, but the trajectory of a career he believes is only just getting started.