The 28-year-old joined the four-time UEFA Champions League winners last summer from EFL Championship side, Middlesbrough, signing a four-year deal.

The move, however, hasn’t gone to plan as the Arsenal Hale End Academy graduate has struggled to stamp his foot in the first team. Soccernet.ng earlier reported that the striker is unhappy, and just wants to play football, even if it is away from the Johan Cruyff Arena.

In a discussion with Dutch outlet, Voetbal International, Goodijk revealed Akpom could have left the club during the winter transfer window, but the interested club couldn’t match Ajax’s player valuation.

“During the winter transfer period, Ajax said no to a transfer. They wanted a lot of money for Akpom, but he was worth too much to let go. He proved before the winter break that he could deliver as a substitute or in Brobbey’s absence. He is exceptionally efficient, with eleven goals and three assists in eleven starts,” Goodijk said as revealed by Soccernews.

Sven Mislintat was appointed to be in charge of Ajax’s scouting and transfer after his expertise with VFB Stuttgart. He was however given a small budget and couldn’t mastermind a squad rebuild and was fired. As per Fear The Wall, Mislintat is linked with a return to Borussia Dortmund.

The German transfer expert made the move to bring Akpom to Ajax, and following his departure, Goodijk revealed the club might be unwilling to hold on to the former Hull City man.

“Akpom has done very well in England. He is homegrown and can provide good statistics. Clubs in the right-hand row of the Premier League in particular are very interested in this. Ajax can therefore earn a nice transfer fee from him, but not only from the striker,” he added.

The 28-year-old joined the four-time UEFA Champions League winners last summer in a deal that could end up costing €14.3m. His contract runs till the summer of 2028, but after just eight months with De Joden, Akpom wants to try his feet elsewhere.

Ajax have been disappointing in the Dutch Eredivisie this season, as they’re currently 5th in the league. Their position doesn’t justify how poorly they’ve played, as they’re 33 points behind the league leaders, PSV Eindhoven.

Akpom was optimistic at the start of the season, but the former Brighton man has been limited to just five league starts, playing 749 minutes of league football in total.

As per Sportswitness UK, the Hale End Academy Graduate is looking to leave Ajax in the summer, with a return to England as his preference. Marco Silva’s Fulham and Nuno Espirito Santo’s Nottingham Forest are also interested in the striker’s services.

Despite starting a few games, the former Hull City man has had a hand in ten goals for the Eredivisie record Champions, scoring nine, and creating one.

Akpom’s woes are similar to the fate suffered by Calvin Bassey during his time at the Dutch club. Ajax splashed £23m to get Bassey from Rangers, but his performances weren’t great, and after a season, he was shipped to Fulham for €21m with Ajax taking a loss.

Under Marco Silva, Bassey has asserted himself as one of the best defenders in the league, forming a decent partnership with Tosin Adarabioyo in the Cottagers backline.

With Bassey’s rejuvenation evident, Akpom will likely follow in his footsteps. However, he’ll have to compete with Rodrigo Muniz for playing time.

Former Bordeaux and PSV striker Wim Kieft has revealed his admiration for Ajax Amsterdam forward Chuba Akpom following his exceptional displays in recent weeks, Soccernet.ng reports.

After struggling to carve a niche for himself at Ajax in the first few weeks following his move from Middlesbrough in the summer, Akpom has returned to his free-scoring old self.

The former Arsenal forward, who scored 28 goals for Boro last term to finish top of the goalscoring chart in the Championship, failed to score in September and October for Ajax.

However, the 28-year-old has been on fire since netting his first goal against Volendam on November 2nd.

Akpom’s record reads eight goals in his last ten games, with the London-born forward’s return to goalscoring form coinciding with Ajax’s climb from the relegation zone to the top half of the league table.

His brace in Ajax’s 3-1 win over AEK Athens on Thursday also helped Ajax secure a spot in the playoff round of the Europa Conference League.

And former Ajax and Torino centre-forward Kieft has been full of praise for Akpom.

“He remains a very special striker and it is nice to have someone like that behind you,” Kieft told De Telegraaf, as per HITC.

“If there is something wrong with Brian Brobbey or another attacker, you can bring Akpom in straight away.

“He also provides competition in the attack at Ajax. If someone loses form or fails, coach John van ‘t Schip can always count on Akpom.”

Despite Akpom’s brilliance for Middlesbrough last season and Ajax this term, he has been overlooked by Nigeria’s coaching crew headed by Jose Peseiro.

Eligible for England and Nigeria, Akpom has committed his international future to the three-time African champions.

Peseiro, however, did not include the former PAOK star in Nigeria’s 40-man provisional squad to the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations in Ivory Coast next month.

Despite Akpom’s absence, Nigeria will be represented by some brilliant attacking talents, including newly-crowned Africa Player of the Year Victor Osimhen and four-time Bundesliga Rookie of the Month winner Victor Boniface.

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.

Nigeria striker Chuba Akpom has revealed his admiration for Arsenal forward Denis Bergkamp, and he believes they have similar styles of play, Soccernet reports.

Akpom completed a €14million transfer from Middlesbrough to Dutch giants Ajax during the summer transfer window.

The 27-year-old forward impressed last season, shocking everyone with his 29-goal haul in 41 appearances for Boro. It was the first time that the Arsenal Academy graduate would be recording such high numbers in his career. Following his brilliant displays for the club, Ajax swooped in for him.

There have been a lot of questions concerning Akpom’s best position, as he hardly ever performed whenever he was played as a striker. In fact, Michael Carrick’s decision to play Dessers as a second striker was a major reason for his superb form last season.

The Nigerian striker has shed more light on his style of play, and he feels that he has some similarities with former Arsenal man Bergkamp.

“Bergkamp was a fantastic player, who, of course, also played at Ajax. He could play as a false nine and connect the game,” Akpom told Ajax TV.

“He was also very physical. Everyone talks about his technique, but he was merciless. I also have that a bit because I also try to play as a second striker. I also have the technical and physical qualities.”

“It’s good to use these types of players as inspiration and learn as much as possible from them.”

Akpom made his full debut for the club in their 3-1 loss at Twente. The 27-year-old did not impress much, but he would be looking to get into his stride soon enough.

Nigeria forward Chuba Akpom has stated that he wants to be effective and make a mark at Dutch Eredivisie giants Ajax, Soccernet reports.

Akpom had his best career campaign last season, registering 29 goals and one assist in 39 appearances for Middlesbrough. Unfortunately, his brilliance could not help the club gain promotion to the English Premier League.

Following his remarkable campaign, the 27-year-old Nigerian star was linked with a transfer to some English top-flight clubs. Crystal Palace, Everton, and Sheffield United were linked to the former Arsenal man. However, the deal did not happen as they failed to reach an agreement with Boro.

Nonetheless, Middlesbrough later agreed on a deal worth €14million with Dutch giants Ajax. Akpom was handed the club’s iconic number 10 jersey, which is a testament to the level of belief that they have in him.

The Nigerian forward has shared his enthusiasm to play for the club and leave a mark.

“I’m really excited. These are the best games to play in. I just want to play, and show everyone what I can do. Make a mark, be effective,” Akpom told Ajax TV.

“If we want to be the best, we have to play against the best and be the best. Let’s go. I’m ready.”

Ajax play Twente this weekend, and Akpom is set to start. He will be looking to make an instant impact.

Nigeria forward Chuba Akpom will not play for Ajax in their Europa League qualifier against Ludogorets on Thursday, Soccernet reports.

The 27-year-old had a superb campaign with Middlesbrough last season, scoring 28 goals in 40 appearances in the English Championship.

Following his performances, various sides were interested in the Arsenal Academy graduate. Crystal Palace, Everton, and Sheffield United were interested in signing Akpom.

However, he decided on a move to Dutch Eredivisie giants Ajax last week in a deal worth €14million.

Akpom spent the better part of the summer break recovering from a niggling injury, but he was fit enough to play for the club last week against Heracles. However, he did not play because he had not gotten his work permit yet.

The Godenzonen take on Ludogorets in the Europa League qualifiers on Thursday, but Akpom will also not be available because he has not sorted his work permit issue yet.

It would have been easier for the former Arsenal man to get a permit if he had up to three caps for Nigeria. However, the club would surely be working round the clock to make sure their star signing plays for the club as soon as possible.

Former Middlesbrough manager Neil Warnock has warned Maurice Steijn that playing Chuba Akpom as a striker would be detrimental for the Nigerian, Soccernet reports.

Akpom joined Ajax from Middlesbrough last week in a deal worth €14million. The 27-year-old Nigerian midfielder had a great campaign with Boro last season, registering 28 goals in 40 appearances.

However, before last season, Akpom was more it a peripheral figure. The Arsenal Academy graduate, who was often played as a striker, had never scored more than ten goals in a single season.

However, Michael Carrick’s decision to play Akpom in a free role allowed him to flourish. Following Akpom’s transfer to Ajax, there has been talk about his likely position at the club, as he has been handed their iconic number 10 jersey.

He could feature as a striker as their top hitman Brian Brobbey has not exactly inspired. However, he has not inspired much confidence. Former Middlesbrough boss Warnock has warned that playing Akpom as the main striker could be detrimental.

“I never thought about playing Akpom in the hole,” Warnock said per Daily Mail.

“He can’t play up front. I hope Ajax haven’t bought him to play up front because he’ll be back in England or somewhere else next year.”

Akpom could not play for Ajax over the weekend because he failed to get his work permit. However, he could play this week against Ludogorets in the Europa League qualifiers.

Ajax Football Director Sven Mislintat believes Nigeria striker Chuba Akpom will succeed at the club because of his versatility, Soccernet reports.

The 27-year-old attacker had a superb campaign with Middlesbrough last season, registering 28 goals in 40 appearances.

His performances attracted some top-flight clubs in Europe, like Everton, Crystal Palace, Lens, and Lille, but he snubbed them and opted for a transfer to Ajax instead.

At Amsterdam, Akpom will be expected to play a vital role in the rebuilding process. Ajax have lost some of their best legs over the last two seasons, and they have fallen short of their previous levels.

Akpom will don the iconic number 10 jersey at Ajax which football greats like Johan Cruyff and Wesley Sneijder have won. This means that he will play an important role in Maurice Steijn’s side.

Ajax chief Maurice Steijn, who was the chief scout at Arsenal when Akpom was still in the youth team, is confident that the Nigerian will perform.

“Chuba is a football player who was already a special player at the age of nineteen,” Mislintat told Ajax TV per Ajax Life.

“He played as a supporting striker, attacking midfielder, sometimes as a winger, but also as number nine. He is a versatile player with many qualities.

“He comes into his own as a striker, but he can also play in a supporting position.

“For example, he can be on the field with Brobbey, because he can also play in midfield. If you ask him, he likes to score. But in a way that he is involved in the game.”

Akpom will be unavailable for Ajax when they play Excelsior this weekend because he is yet to get his work permit. However, he could play in their Europa League qualifier next week.

Nigeria striker Chuba Akpom has revealed that he decided to join Dutch Eredivisie giants because of their rich history and playing philosophy, Soccernet reports.

Akpom has been the object of numerous transfer talks this summer following an impressive campaign that saw him score 28 goals in 40 appearances for Middlesbrough in the English Championship.

The 27-year-old attacker was the best player in the league last season, and his brilliance attracted interest from some bigger clubs, especially after Boro failed to secure promotion to the Premier League.

Lille, Lens, Everton, and Sheffield United were linked with the Arsenal Academy product, but they could not strike a deal. But with just one year on his former deal, Middlesbrough had to sell because Akpom refused to sign an extension.

Dutch giants Ajax entered the mix to sign the former PAOK man last week, and they wasted little time in completing the deal.

The Godenzonen unveiled Akpom on Wednesday, and he was handed the iconic number 10 jersey, which some football greats have used.

The Nigerian striker has now revealed the reason he moved to the Eredivisie despite interest from the Premier League and Ligue 1.

“When I hung up[the first time I spoke to Ajax], I said to my manager: ‘Stop talking to other clubs. I want to go to Ajax,” Akpom told Ajax Life.

“Sven[Ajax football director] didn’t have to sell the club to me. He told me about the projects, the philosophy and how the coach wants me to play. That fits well with the way I like football. It was an easy decision.

“The name itself says enough: AFC Ajax. When you put on this shirt, you need to know what it stands for.

“The history and the success that the club has had in the Netherlands and Europe. I respect that. I am ready to help Ajax further.”

Akpom’s jersey number indicates how important he is to the club. Ajax lost the Eredivisie title last season, but they would be looking to return to the summit this season.