Jamie Vardy’s transfer record has finally been broken after 14 years with a huge bid accepted!
Boreham Wood winger Abdul Abdulmalik is about to make history as the most expensive player ever in non-league football, breaking Jamie Vardy’s 14-year-old record.
Back in 2012, Vardy made headlines when he moved from National League side Fleetwood Town to Leicester City for £1 million. Fleetwood had a “significant” sell-on clause, but never made more money from Vardy since he stayed at Leicester for 13 years before leaving on a free transfer in 2025.
For a long time, those transfer numbers stayed unbeaten. But now, as big transfer fees are becoming normal in the English Football League, that trend is starting to reach the National League too.
Just this week, AFC Fylde sold young striker Danny Ormerod—son of former Blackpool striker Brett—to Peterborough United in League One for about £600,000.
The story around Boreham Wood’s 23-year-old winger Abdulmalik has been going on all summer. Luke Garrard’s team, who just missed out on promotion last season after losing a play-off final on penalties, turned down three bids worth over a million pounds from Swedish club Djurgardens for Abdulmalik.
Abdulmalik has been one of the brightest stars in non-league football this year, scoring 15 goals and making nine assists in the National League season.
He publicly shared his desire to move on in a message on Instagram, saying: “This is my chance to push myself, improve my game, and fulfill my promise to those around me. Opportunities like this don’t come often, especially in the National League where many hard-working talents get missed. There’s no guarantee a chance like this will come again.”
Now, Boreham Wood have accepted a fee over £1.5 million to sell Abdulmalik to Djurgardens, according to BBC Sport. The exact amount hasn’t been announced, but The Wood had already turned down a third offer of £1.5 million.
His last game for Boreham Wood was on August 15 against FC Halifax, where he scored and assisted in a 3-1 win. He hasn’t played in the past two games, including their recent 2-1 victory over Boston United.
Boreham Wood currently sit second in the National League after three games, with three wins and one draw. Sutton United are top with a perfect record.