The biggest transfer in non-League history is in jeopardy amid a public row between the Boreham Wood chairman and his star man Abdul Abdulmalik.
Abdulmalik, who scored and assisted in last season’s National League play-off final defeat by Rochdale, is currently on strike at Boreham Wood as he tries to force an astonishing £1million-plus move to Swedish top-flight club Djurgarden.
Daily Mail Sport understands there is no agreement between the two clubs, despite Boreham Wood clearly outlining their demands.
Boreham Wood’s valuation for the 23-year-old is thought to be over £1.5m plus significant add-ons. Djurgarden’s latest bid reached £1.5m but was rejected.
In the programme for Thursday evening’s match against Boston United, circulated to season ticket holders and obtained by Daily Mail Sport, Boreham Wood chairman Danny Hunter has said the transfer fee is agreed while add-ons are to be determined.
But it appears that while Boreham Wood may have agreed their own asking price internally, a club-to-club agreement has not been reached with Djurgarden having had multiple bids turned down and Boreham Wood unwilling to budge.
Seven-figure deals in the National League are extremely rare, with Jamie Vardy’s £1m move from Fleetwood Town to Leicester City in 2012 the biggest initial fee received by a non-League club. Should Abdulmalik depart, he would become the most expensive non-league transfer.
Meanwhile, Hunter also accused Djurgarden of tapping up Abdulmalik, which can result in a transfer embargo.
Abdul Abdulmalik had a stellar 2025-26 season, scoring 17 goals and providing 10 assists as Boreham Wood reached the National League play-off final
The 23-year-old is trying to force an exit from Boreham Wood – refusing to train and play
In extensive programme notes – in which he devoted over 1000 words to the issue – the Boreham Wood chief went on to suggest there is every chance Abdulmalik remains at the club beyond the September 1 transfer deadline.
‘At 64 years of age and having enjoyed 28 seasons here in the Chair, I know our supporters want an experienced owner to stand up to outside noise, to see passive-aggressiveness for what it is and not allow anything, except my own good conscience, to dictate what’s right for our football club,’ Hunter’s notes read.
‘I, of course, understand the new agent, player, family and advisors are not happy, as they are only thinking about Abdul and themselves, but that is very much their concern.
‘I’ve now watched the behaviour of those concerned up close over the last three weeks. I’ve seen the constant leaks to Sky Sports and the press, but that’s out of my control.
‘I do understand that some people will think those press leaks will put me under pressure (they don’t), but what I will say is that these things are unhelpful to all concerned, as they unsettle the player unnecessarily and just add to the noise, the me, me, me culture and poor behaviour.
‘I’m old school and always believe that a transparent transfer negotiation must firstly begin with the interested (buying) club making contact with the parent club (us) in good faith. Only if those initial conversations between the clubs are positive can a deal further down the line be done.
‘If a transfer is being initiated at the start by an agent or by a buying club using an agent, then one club (us), in this case, is usually kept in the dark before an offer is suddenly sent through. Remember, at that point the agent and the player have already agreed their deals, even though NO deal at that point has been struck between the two clubs.
‘To be even clearer, if a potentially interested club knowingly contacts a contracted player through an agent, without his parent club’s permission, and negotiates his deal, that could constitute an unauthorised approach under the relevant football regulations.
‘If that happens, a player on most occasions has already had his head turned long before the parent club (us) even knows that the player has accepted his deal and long before a low-ball offer is on its way to the parent club.
‘I now feel I’m being made out to be the bad guy here and slightly held hostage, as it’s very late in the transfer window and I’m now forced into negotiating a transfer because the said player, on advice from others, has downed tools.
Boreham Wood chairman Danny Hunter feels he is being held ‘hostage’ by Abdulmalik
Hunter went on to accuse Djurgarden of tapping up Abdulmalik while making contradictory statements on negotations
Boreham Wood claim they have already dropped their asking price by £350,000 – their initial valuation was believed to be £2m
‘In truth, I’m not happy with that, nor the silly press leaks after we stayed respectfully quiet and agreed to negotiate in good faith.
‘However, with Abdul now once again downing tools, I’m slightly backed into a corner and feel I need to set the record straight to our loyal supporters by being very honest, while still not airing too much of our dirty washing in public.
‘I’m making it crystal clear that we have negotiated in good faith with a club, but we will not relent on the present asking price, as we have already lowered our asking price by £350k.
‘When the time is right, I might go into more detail about the real truths behind these press leaks, the downing of tools, the player’s conduct, the nonsense and the behaviour of some characters within this transfer saga.
‘But for now, ‘least said, best mended’ is my stance. That said, until the window has closed, the ball is now firmly in the buying club’s, player’s, agent’s and advisors’ court because if our valuation is met, then Abdul can go.
‘As far as I’m concerned, the transfer fee is agreed. It’s now simply about reaching agreement on some add-ons based on the buying club’s league and UEFA success while Abdul is at their club.
‘There are some appearance add-ons, a simple international clause should Abdul become an international (which would increase his worth tenfold) and a fair sell-on. That’s pretty much the saga/story in a nutshell.
‘At the moment, Abdul is refusing to train with us or play, though he is still very much our player and has two years left on his contract. My gut feeling is the buying club might decide not to come back to the table, but of course I might be wrong?
‘If I was a betting man, and I’m not, I would expect, when the transfer window closes next Tuesday, that an unhappy Abdul will still be with us, but what do I know?
‘It’s now a very simple equation. If the buying club wants to agree the add-ons and finalise a transfer agreement, then let’s get on with it, as I’m ready and waiting. If not, trust me, I’ll be even happier as the window will be closed, and we’ll still have Abdul.
‘For clarity, Abdul, in his position, is the best in this division and the division above by a country mile, hence why he is valued highly. If he stays, he will of course help us enormously with our promotion push and EFL ambition.’
Abdulmalik could become the most expensive non-league player – eclipsing the £1m Leicester City paid Fleetwood Town for Jamie Vardy in 2012
Abdulmalik, meanwhile, released a statement via Instagram on Tuesday night expressing his desire to leave.
‘I’m ready to prove to myself and those around me that I’m capable of reaching the top,’ he said. ‘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.’
Abdulmalik played for Millwall’s academy and represented England at under-17 level before being released in 2024 and joining Boreham Wood as a free agent.
The tricky attacker had a stellar 2025-26 season, scoring 17 goals and providing 10 assists as Boreham Wood reached the National League play-off final.
Daily Mail Sport has contacted Boreham Wood for comment.
