Birmingham City’s summer spending spree is showing no signs of stopping, with a deal in place for Ajax’s Chuba Akpom, who recently tallied 28 goals in his most recent Championship season with Middlesbrough.
Having spent last season on loan with Lille, the agreement between the Dutch giants and the Blues is for a season-long loan, which will include an obligation to buy if the club are to achieve promotion to the Premier League.
The forward is set to undergo a medical with the newly promoted club, as reported by Sky Sports News.
Chuba Akpom to Birmingham City
Akpom would join several notable arrivals at St. Andrews this summer and will likely compete for a place in the City frontline alongside Kyogo Furuhashi and Jay Stansfield.
And Championship fans will remember the 29-year-old well, having emerged as the division’s top scorer only two years ago before departing for Ajax.
His first season in the Netherlands was exceptional, scoring fifteen goals in all competitions, three of which were in the Europa League.
Last season was difficult for the Englishman, scoring eight in the first half of the season before spending the latter half of the campaign on loan with Lille, contributing three goals.
Reports from overseas have stated Akpom to be amongst a number of players Ajax are aiming to move on amid recent arrivals, after the French club did not exercise their option to make Akpom’s tenure permanent.
Therefore, it makes a great deal of sense to see that the Dutch club has imposed an obligation to buy if the Blues are to win promotion, with his days in Amsterdam numbered.
Options at Birmingham City
The forward is an excellent player at the level, capable of contributing in both forward and midfield positions, excelling in a hybrid role under Michael Carrick.
This adds a great level of depth and versatility to Chris Davies’ tactical set-ups, who was often versatile in his set-ups last season.
Akpom’s ability to link play from the midfield will be of great benefit to the likes of Demarai Gray and Furahashi, while a partnership with Stansfield could be exceptional.
With the likes of Bright Osayi-Samuel, Eiran Cashin, and Phil Neumann bolstering the City defence this summer, their forward options are emerging equally well.
It will be interesting to see how Birmingham City step up to tougher opposition, having cruised League One with a record-breaking 111 points tally.
The club’s ambitions to mark two successive promotions are well-documented, and are showing no signs of stopping this summer window.