{{Short description|Nigerian footballer (born 1999)}} {{Use dmy dates|date=July 2024}} {{Infobox football biography | name = Afeez Aremu | image = | full_name = Afeez Aremu Olalekan | birth_date = {{birth date and age|1999|10|3|df=y}} | birth_place = Ibadan, Nigeria | height = 1.81 m | position = Midfielder | currentclub = Aberdeen | clubnumber = 32 | youthyears1 = 2013–2014 | youthclubs1 = Remo Stars | youthyears2 = 2014–2015 | youthclubs2 = Sharks | years1 = 2015–2016 | clubs1 = Sunshine Stars | caps1 = 15 | goals1 = 2 | years2 = 2016 | clubs2 = Rivers United | caps2 = 13 | goals2 = 1 | years3 = 2017–2018 | clubs3 = Akwa United | caps3 = 9 | goals3 = 0 | years4 = 2018–2020 | clubs4 = IK Start | caps4 = 55 | goals4 = 4 | years5 = 2020–2023 | clubs5 = FC St. Pauli | caps5 = 54 | goals5 = 0 | years6 = 2023–2026 | clubs6 = 1. FC Kaiserslautern | caps6 = 25 | goals6 = 0 | years7 = 2026– | clubs7 = Aberdeen | caps7 = 10 | goals7 = 1 | nationalyears1 = 2014–2015 | nationalteam1 = Nigeria U20<ref name="sl10">{{cite web|url=http://www.sl10.ng/news/articles/teams/nigeria-1615726/victor-mbaoma-get-flying-eagles-call-up-as-team-resumes-camping-today/154880|publisher=sl10.ng|title=Victor Mbaoma Get Flying Eagles Call Up As Team Resumes Camping Today|accessdate=4 March 2017}}</ref> | nationalcaps1 = | nationalgoals1 = | nationalyears2 = 2017 | nationalteam2 = Nigeria | nationalcaps2 = 1 | nationalgoals2 = 0 | club-update = 20 May 2026 | nationalteam-update = 09:42, 31 August 2020 (UTC) }}
'''Afeez Aremu Olalekan'''{{audio|LL-Q34311 (yor)-Abike25-Afeez Aremu Olalekan.wav|listen}}(born 3 October 1999) is a Nigerian professional footballer who plays as a midfielder for {{Scottish football updater|Aberdeen}} club Aberdeen.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://sportstalkafrica.com/npfl-transfer-sunshine-lose-afeez-aremu-to-akwa/|title=NPFL Transfer: Sunshine lose Afeez Aremu to Akwa|website=sportstalkafrica.com|accessdate=4 March 2017}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.sportlineng.com/2017/01/18/psftebs86471-2/|title=EXCLUSIVE: I can't wait to put one past Rivers United – Aremu Afeez|date=18 January 2017|website=sportlineng.com|accessdate=4 March 2017}}</ref> He has also played for the Nigeria national under-20 team.<ref name="Premium">{{Cite news|url=http://www.premiumtimesng.com/sports/156342-12-uninvited-players-progress-flying-eagles-trial.html|title=12 uninvited players progress in Flying Eagles trial|date=7 March 2014|accessdate=4 March 2017|newspaper=Premium Times}}</ref>
==Career== Aremu was born in Ibadan, Nigeria. He made his league debut with Remo Stars F.C.<ref name=Premium/> at the age of 14 in 2013–14 Nigeria National Pro League season during their terrain in the Nigerian Second Division League. He has played for several Nigeria Premier League teams, such as Sharks F.C. from where he played against Sunshine Stars F.C. and this made Sunshine Stars sign him.<ref name="supportthenpfl">{{cite web|url=http://www.supportthenpfl.com/news/aremu-afeez-delighted-sunshine-stars-move/|publisher=supportthenpfl.com|title=www.supportthenpfl.com/news/aremu-afeez-delighted-sunshine-stars-move/|accessdate=4 March 2017}}{{Dead link|date=October 2019 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}</ref> He got stronger interest from Rivers United F.C.<ref>{{Cite news|url=http://thenationonlineng.net/afeez-praises-rivers-utds-mentality/|location=Lagos, Nigeria|title=Afeez praises Rivers Utd's mentality|date=6 October 2016|accessdate=4 March 2017|language=en-US|newspaper=The Nation}}</ref> after he played against them during the first leg of 2015–16 Nigeria Premier League season and was signed during the mid season. He won the man of the match again towards two games to the end of 2015–16 Nigeria Premier League season when Rivers United played against Akwa United F.C. and this also made Akwa United sign him in the 2017 Nigeria Premier League season.<ref>{{Cite news|url=http://www.goal.com/en-ng/news/4111/npfl/2016/03/06/21037132/sunshine-stars-afeez-aremu-looking-to-arrest-poor-form|title=Sunshine Stars' Afeez Aremu looking to arrest poor form against Ifeanyi Ubah FC|date=6 March 2016|work=Goal.com|accessdate=4 March 2017|language=en-NG}}</ref>
In August 2020, Aremu joined 2. Bundesliga side FC St. Pauli from Eliteserien club IK Start on a three-year contract. The transfer fee paid to IK Start was undisclosed.<ref>{{cite web |title=FC St. Pauli verpflichtet Afeez Aremu |url=https://www.kicker.de/schultz_bekommt_wunschspieler_aremu_unterschreibt_bei_st_pauli-782718/artikel |website=kicker |access-date=24 August 2020 |language=German |date=24 August 2020}}</ref>
Having featured less since the arrival of manager Fabian Hürzeler, Aremu moved to league rivals 1. FC Kaiserslautern in August 2023.<ref name="fck">{{cite web |title=Aremu wechselt nach Kaiserslautern |trans-title=Aremu moves to Kaiserslautern |url=https://www.kicker.de/aremu-wechselt-nach-kaiserslautern-965030/artikel |website=kicker |access-date=24 August 2023 |language=German |date=23 August 2023}}</ref> The transfer was reported as being in the mid-six-figure range.<ref name="fck"/>
On 29 January 2026, Aremu moved to Aberdeen in Scotland on a two-and-a-half-year contract.<ref>{{cite web|publisher=Aberdeen F.C.|url=https://www.afc.co.uk/2026/01/29/nigerian-midfielder-completes-move-to-dons/|title=Nigerian Midfielder Completes Move to Dons|date=29 January 2026|access-date=29 January 2026}}</ref>
==Personal life== Aremu has Yoruba tribal marks on his face, he had them since he was a baby.<ref>{{cite web|publisher=FC St Pauli|url=https://www.fcstpauli.com/en/news/published/afeez-aremu-speaks-to-the-media-ahead-of-hannover-away/|title=AREMU: "I THOUGHT, WOW, THIS IS GREAT!|date=8 September 2021|access-date=24 August 2023}}</ref>
==Career statistics== {{updated|match played 24 August 2023}}
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center" |+ Appearances and goals by club, season and competition |- !rowspan="2"|Club !rowspan="2"|Season !rowspan="2"|Division !colspan="2"|League !colspan="2"|Cup !colspan="2"|Total |- !Apps!!Goals!!Apps!!Goals!!Apps!!Goals |- |Sunshine Stars |2015 |NPFL |15||2||0||0||15||2 |- |Rivers United |2016 |NPFL |13||1||0||0||13||1 |- |Akwa United |2017 |NPFL |9||0||0||0||9||0 |- |rowspan="4"|Start |2018<ref name="altom">{{cite web|title=Afeez Aremu |url=http://www.altomfotball.no/element.do?cmd=player&personId=345660&tournamentId=1&seasonId=340&teamId=305&useFullUrl=false |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180314213955/http://www.altomfotball.no/element.do?cmd=player&personId=345660&tournamentId=1&seasonId=340&teamId=305&useFullUrl=false |url-status=dead |archive-date=14 March 2018 |website=altomfotball.no |publisher=TV2 |accessdate=2 September 2018 |language=Norwegian}}</ref> |Eliteserien |26||3||4||1||30||4 |- |2019<ref name="altom"/> |OBOS-ligaen |25||1||1||0||26||1 |- |2020<ref name="altom"/> |Eliteserien |4||0||0||0||4||0 |- !colspan="2"|Total !55!!4!!5!!1!!60!!5 |- |rowspan="4"|FC St. Pauli |2020–21<ref name="wf">{{cite web |title=Afeez Aremu » Club matches |url=https://www.worldfootball.net/person/pe525122/afeez-aremu/club-matches/ |website=worldfootball.net |access-date=30 December 2021}}</ref> |2. Bundesliga |16||0||1||0||17||0 |- |2021–22<ref name="wf" /> |2. Bundesliga |21||0||3||0||24||0 |- |2022–23<ref name="wf" /> |2. Bundesliga |17||0||1||0||18||0 |- !colspan="2"|Total !54!!0!!5!!0!!59!!0 |- !colspan="3"|Career total !146!!7!!10!!1!!156!!8 |}
==References== {{Reflist}}
==External links== * {{NFT|68912}}
{{Aberdeen F.C. squad}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Aremu, Afeez}} Category:1999 births Category:Living people Category:Yoruba sportspeople Category:Nigerian men's footballers Category:Footballers from Ibadan Category:Men's association football midfielders Category:Nigeria men's international footballers Category:Nigeria men's under-20 international footballers Category:Nigeria Professional Football League players Category:Eliteserien players Category:Norwegian First Division players Category:2. Bundesliga players Category:Remo Stars F.C. players Category:Sharks F.C. players Category:Sunshine Stars F.C. players Category:Akwa United F.C. players Category:Rivers United F.C. players Category:IK Start players Category:FC St. Pauli players Category:1. FC Kaiserslautern players Category:Aberdeen F.C. players Category:Nigerian expatriate men's footballers Category:Expatriate men's footballers in Norway Category:Expatriate men's footballers in Germany Category:Expatriate men's footballers in Scotland Category:Nigerian expatriate sportspeople in Norway Category:Nigerian expatriate sportspeople in Germany Category:Nigerian expatriate sportspeople in Scotland Category:21st-century Nigerian sportsmen