By Wale Mustapha
KRC Genk President Peter Croonen has confirmed that the club is open to selling Nigerian striker Tolu Arokodare, following the forward’s breakout season in the Belgian Jupiler Pro League.
Arokodare, 23, finished the 2024/25 season as the league’s top scorer with 21 goals, sparking interest from top European clubs including Bayern Munich and Benfica.
Speaking to Belgian outlet Voetbalprimeur, Croonen revealed that Arokodare is officially on the transfer list but warned that the club will not accept a cut-price deal.
“An amount like with [Paul] Onuachu? Let me say that I don’t want to say much about that, but we want much more,” Croonen said, referencing Genk’s previous sale of fellow Nigerian striker Onuachu to Southampton.
“There is always pressure to sell — in every football club that wants to function autonomously,” he added, hinting at the club’s business model of developing and profiting from player sales.
Arokodare’s rise has mirrored that of Onuachu, who also made a name for himself at Genk before securing a big-money move abroad. With interest growing and Genk positioning themselves for a major sale, the Super Eagles prospect could be on the move early in the summer window.
Samuel Ahmadu is a distinguished multimedia journalist and women's football expert with over 15 years of experience in the industry. He began his career at Goal.com in February 2014, where he served as an African women's football correspondent for nearly eight years. During his tenure at Goal.com, Samuel covered major events such as three Women's Africa Cup of Nations (2016, 2018, 2022) and the 2015 FIFA Women's World Cup in Canada plus 2018 FIFA World Cup in Russia. His work at Goal.com earned him widespread acclaim, particularly for his in-depth profiles of African football stars, notably Asisat Oshoala, whose rise he documented from her early years to her breakthrough at the FIFA U20 Women's World Cup in 2014. Prior to his role at Goal.com, Samuel freelanced for various print and broadcast media outlets in Nigeria, including Graphics Newspaper, Radio Nigeria, Grace FM, and Savid Newspaper. His extensive experience and expertise led to his appointment to the Nigeria Football Federation's Standing Committee on Women's Football Development from 2016 to 2018. Since February 2018, Samuel has been the Social Media Manager for Nigeria's women's national teams.In 2019, Samuel joined the Confederation of African Football (CAF) as a women's football content contributor and was promoted to Women's Football Editor in 2021. His contributions to women's football continued as he worked as a Media Consultant for Content Creation and Editorials at the 2022 CAF Women's Champions League. Currently, Samuel also serves as the spokesman for the Nigeria Women Football League, further solidifying his influence and dedication to the growth of women's football in Africa.
