Boreham Wood Rejects Djurgardens' Second Bid for Abdulmalik
Boreham Wood are digging in.
The National League club have turned down a second bid from Djurgardens for star winger Abdulmalik, with Sky Sports News reporting the latest offer at £1.5m. The Swedish side had already seen an opening £1m proposal rejected earlier this month, and the answer from Meadow Park has not changed. No sale. Not yet.
For a fifth-tier club, that is a statement. Boreham’s hierarchy are adamant they will not be rushed into cashing in on their 23-year-old talisman, even as the numbers creep into seven figures and the clock ticks on the summer window.
Djurgardens’ calculated gamble
This is not a scattergun chase from Djurgardens. It is a plan.
As reported by BBC Sport, the Allsvenskan club are following a clear recruitment model: identify raw, underpriced talent before the wider market catches up, polish it, then sell for a substantial profit. It is a system that has already paid off, and they believe Abdulmalik is the next big win.
At the centre of it all is sporting director Maximilian Hahn. Once head of recruitment at West Ham United, Hahn has brought Premier League-level scouting nous to Stockholm. His time in east London also saw him work alongside Sweden manager Graham Potter, and he is now leaning heavily on those British connections, trawling the UK for players others have overlooked or undervalued.
Djurgardens have done this before. They helped develop Danish striker August Priske, then moved him on to Birmingham City in January 2026. That deal serves as a blueprint. Abdulmalik, in their eyes, is the next project.
From Millwall cast-off to National League star
Abdulmalik’s rise has been rapid.
Released by Millwall in 2024, he arrived at Boreham on a free transfer, carrying with him youth honours and England Under-17 caps but no guarantees. Within two seasons, he has turned into one of the most exciting attacking players outside the EFL.
The 2025-26 campaign was his breakout. Seventeen goals. Ten assists. Numbers that jump off the page at any level, let alone for a young winger in the fifth tier. His performances earned him the National League Young Player of the Season award and, with it, serious attention from outside England.
Then came Wembley. In the play-off final, under the arch and under pressure, Abdulmalik delivered again with a scintillating display that only sharpened Djurgardens’ focus. If they were interested before, they were convinced after that.
A transfer tug-of-war against the clock
Now Boreham find themselves in a delicate battle on two fronts.
Off the pitch, they must fend off overseas suitors with deep pockets and a clear plan. On it, they need Abdulmalik fully locked in on the club’s push for automatic promotion into the English Football League.
The money on offer would transform most National League budgets. But the winger’s goals, assists and sheer threat could be worth just as much in the long run if they help drag Boreham into the EFL. That is the equation the club’s board are wrestling with as the deadline edges closer.
There is another challenge: managing the player’s mindset. A seven-figure move abroad, a clear pathway to a higher level, a club that has already showcased and sold talent on – it is a lot for any 23-year-old to process. The coaching staff know they must keep him focused, keep him grounded, and keep him producing.
Because right now, Abdulmalik is more than just a transfer asset. He is the face of Boreham’s promotion charge. And as long as he stays, their ambitions will rise with him.
