According to reports in Greece, as cited by Teesside Live, Middlesbrough have been credited with an interest in former Arsenal striker Chuba Akpom, who currently plies his trade with PAOK in the Greek top-flight.
As per the report, Neil Warnock is keen to bring in a couple of strikers before the deadline next month and has identified the 24-year-old as one of his top targets. The Boro manager has confirmed that he is hopeful of getting a deal over the line for Akpom.
Chuba Akpom spent 11 years in Arsenal’s youth system between 2002 and 2013 and carved out a big reputation for himself as a prolific goalscorer for the club’s U-23 side. He eventually made his first-team debut for the Gunners back in the 2013-14 season but never really managed to establish himself due to stiff competition for places.
The 24-year-old spent time on loan at Nottingham Forest, Hull City, and Brighton in the Championship, Brentford and Coventry City in League One and Sint-Truiden in the Belgian top-flight before completing a permanent move to Greek giants PAOK in 2018.
Akpom has since scored 14 goals in 54 league appearances for PAOK, although just 28 of them have come as starts. His overall tally for the club stands at 18 goals and 9 assists in 79 appearances across all competitions.
Middlesbrough managed only 48 goals en route to their 17th-place finish in the Championship last season, which was the worst scoring record in the entire division. Britt Assombalonga and Ashley Fletcher both bagged 11 goals apiece in the league last term but that was only just enough to avoid relegation.
Warnock’s side have failed to score even once in their first two games this season, losing to Watford in the Championship before suffering an early exit from the EFL Cup at the hands of Barnsley. The departure of Rudy Gestede has further limited the club’s options in front of goal.
Hence, it goes without saying that the Teessiders need to bolster their goalscoring firepower before the summer deadline in October. Chuba Akpom looks like a decent option in the right age bracket, at 24.
The former England U-21 international has previous loan experience in the Championship, meaning Boro have every reason to hope that he can settle down quickly and make an instant impact.
Akpom, who won the Greek top-division title with PAOK in 2018-19, has shown enough promise over the past couple of years to earn a second crack of the whip in English football. The 24-year-old struggled to impress in the Championship earlier in his career but he looks better equipped to succeed at this level, especially after gaining European experience.
It doesn’t take a rocket scientist to figure out that Middlesbrough are in desperate need of a striker to reduce the goalscoring workload on the likes of Fletcher and Assombalonga up top. Chuba Akpom certainly ticks a lot of boxes at the Riverside Stadium and the Teessiders could have a really useful player on their hands if they manage to complete a deal for the ex-Arsenal graduate this summer.