Akpom joined Ajax in the summer, but he is yet to adjust to life in the Netherlands
Chuba Akpom’s transfer to Ajax has been put under the searchlight as there are allegations that the former Dutch champions overpaid Middlesbrough to get him, Soccernet reports.
In recent weeks, Ajax has seen a tough shakeup. This is not a surprise, though, as they are looking to return to their best following a poor campaign last season.
The club let go of Sven Mislintat last week, just five months after he was appointed as director of football. Just days before, the Arsenal chief was accused of some transfer malpractice.
According to Bloomberg, the transfer of Borna Sosa was facilitated by a scouting agency that may have a stake in a football data firm partially owned by Mislintat.
Whilst the issue is still being investigated at Ajax, another issue has come up. According to MSN, Akpom’s transfer to Ajax may have been shady. This is because Akpom’s agent already knew how much Ajax were going to bid for the 27-year-old.
According to a source in Middlesbrough per MSN, the club thought Akpom’s transfer to Ajax was incredulous. This is because his agent, Emeka Obasi, knew the exact amount the Dutch giants budgeted for the deal before negotiations started.
“The remarkable thing is, says the person involved from Middlesbrough, that Obasi advises rejecting Ajax’s first offer. He knows that Ajax will make a second offer – and how high it will be. That offer comes. “Accurate to the penny,” a source in Middlesbrough told MSN.
Also, Akpom could easily have left Middlesbrough for a cheaper fee because he had just one year left on his deal.
The other clubs that showed interest in signing him were offering Middlesbrough less than €12million, but Ajax wrapped up the deal in a very short time, and Mislintat was the one who pushed for the transfer even though they are known to be frugal spenders.
There has been no official investigation into the matter. There is a possibility that there was no wrongdoing. Also, the chances of some wrongdoings can not be ruled out.
Meanwhile, Akpom has found it hard to adjust to life in Ajax. He is still struggling to break into the first team.
