Birmingham City’s move for Ajax forward Chuba Akpom has been blocked by league rivals Ipswich Town.
Kieran McKenna’s Tractor Boys are looking to bounce back from their Premier League relegation after their impressive consecutive promotions to reach the top flight. Birmingham have begun a new chapter in their life with their new ownership model, which has seen them invest heavily in the side.
Last season, the Blues smashed the League One transfer record not once, but twice, and their spending has followed them to the Championship as they look to return to the Premier League for the first time since their 18th-placed finish in the 2010/11 season.
The former Arsenal forward spent last season on loan with Ligue 1 outfit Lille, where he made just 14 appearances, finding the net three times in the French top flight. Joining the side will mark his fifth spell in the second tier with a fourth club.
Birmingham City target chooses league rivals.
According to talkSPORT’s Ben Jacobs, the Ajax forward has chosen to join Ipswich Town after he chose Birmingham last night, with a medical scheduled to take place this afternoon. Akpom’s former club, Middlesbrough, had attempted to hijack the move earlier this week, but Blues were able to fend off their rivals.
Ipswich are looking for a replacement for Liam Delap, who left for Chelsea for a fee of £30 million following their relegation from the Premier League. Delap was able to hit double digits in the top flight despite the side finishing in the bottom three.
Replacing a player of Delap’s calibre was always going to be difficult for the Tractor Boys, and Akpom will likely not provide a direct replacement for the young Englishman. The forward was Player of the Year in the Championship in the 22/23 season, netting 28 times in 38 appearances, a total which also saw him finish top scorer in the league.
Blues are not in desperate need of another striker, despite having just sold Alfie May, given that they have Jay Stansfield as part of their squad, who has already shown his worth at this level during a loan spell at St Andrew’s before signing permanently in the summer.
