Boreham Wood have rejected a £1.5m bid from Swedish club Djurgarden for striker Abdul Abdulmalik, with the 23-year-old saying he is “capable of reaching the top.”
Djurgarden had an earlier £1m offer turned down this month. Boreham Wood are unwilling to sell, and manager Luke Garrard reinforced that stance—saying “he is our player”—after Abdulmalik was left out of Saturday’s 3-0 win over Forest Green.
In a statement released through his agent, Abdulmalik thanked everyone at Boreham Wood and the club’s supporters for their role in his journey, but added that he is ready for a new challenge and to prove himself at the highest level.
Abdulmalik broke through in the 2025-26 season, scoring 17 goals and registering 10 assists as Boreham Wood reached the National League play-off final, where he both scored and assisted at Wembley.
Djurgarden’s £1.5m offer would have set a new record fee for a fifth-tier player in England, surpassing the £1m Leicester paid Fleetwood Town for Jamie Vardy in 2012.
He said the chance to progress has come through hard work and perseverance, describing opportunities of this kind as rare in the National League and noting there is no guarantee they will come again. He added that he owes it to himself and young players like him to fight for the move.
Abdulmalik came through Millwall’s academy, represented England at under-17 level, and helped the club’s Under-21s win back-to-back Professional Development League South titles in 2022-23 and 2023-24. After a consistent first-team pathway failed to open up, he was released in 2024 and joined Boreham Wood as a free agent.
Boreham Wood have been approached for comment.