Boreham Wood accept Vardy-beating record fee for Abdulmalik

Djurgardens, a Swedish club, has signed winger Abdul Abdulmalik from Boreham Wood in what is believed to be the highest fee ever paid for a fifth-tier English player, reportedly exceeding £1.5 million. The 23-year-old's transfer surpasses the previous record set in 2012 when Leicester City purchased Jamie Vardy from Fleetwood Town for £1 million. Abdulmalik is currently in Sweden for a medical examination following the agreement reached on Sunday.

Abdulmalik had an impressive season in 2025-26, netting 17 goals and providing 10 assists as Boreham Wood advanced to the National League play-off final, where he scored and assisted a goal at Wembley. The transfer resolves a long-standing bidding war, as Boreham Wood had previously rejected offers of £1 million and £1.5 million for the former Millwall academy player. The Hertfordshire club released Abdulmalik in August, but he opted to withdraw from the team to pursue a new opportunity.

Several English clubs, including Peterborough United, had shown interest in Abdulmalik. Prior to his time at Millwall, the forward was an England Under-17 international and had an unsuccessful trial at Portsmouth. Djurgardens, based in Stockholm, currently sit fifth in the Allsvenskan, a Swedish league spanning from April to November. The club has two additional games in hand compared to their rivals and remains competitive for European qualification.