Ajax coach Francesco Farioli has insisted that he does not want any of his players to leave in January, amid talks linking Nigerian forward Chuba Akpom with a Ligue 1 transfer, Soccernet.ng.
Akpom has had a tough start to the season at Ajax. Under Italian coach Farioli, his game time has been limited. This season, he has registered 27 appearances across all competitions, but many of those have been off the bench.
Due to his struggle for minutes, Akpom has been linked with a transfer to the French Ligue 1. This is not the first time that Akpom will have suitors from France though, as there were also links last summer.
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However, just as in the summer, Akpom may not be allowed to leave Amsterdam. This is as coach Farioli recently stated that he wants to keep all the players in his squad till the end of the season.
“One of my wishes is that I don’t lose any players. We are getting to know each other better and accepting each other’s limitations,” ‘Farioli said, per Soccernews.
“They deserve to be at Ajax and I like having them here. We don’t determine the market, but if you ask me what my wish is, it is that they all stay on board.”
As it stands, if Akpom's situation does not improve before the end of the season, he may just have to leave to get more playing time elsewhere. However, Ajax would have the upperhand in any negotiation, as Akpom still has three years left on his contract.
