Arsenal are set to begin a summer transfer clear out as Goal report that 22-year-old striker, Chuba Akpom is set to leave the Emirates Stadium to join Greek outfit, PAOK.
It is believed that the deal taking him to the Greek Super League is in the region of £890,000 as he has fallen down the pecking order in North London. The Arsenal academy graduate has struggled to impose himself on the Gunners first team, as he has gone out on loan several times – and hasn’t even been first choice at Hull and Brighton when in the Championship.
The forward has made just 12 appearances in six years for us, eight of which in domestic competitions.
His contract runs out in 12 months, with the club unwilling to offer him a new deal and will instead sell him for a minor profit. Big things were expected of Akpom, but it seems that he isn’t going to make the grade.
He spent last season on loan at Belgian outfit, Sint-Truiden, scoring six times in 16 matches. He was not part of our squad that played in preseason tour of Singapore, which led to more speculation about his future.
Arsenal manager, Unai Emery is ready to sell a number of first team players in a bid to free up cash to pursue other targets. The likes of Joel Campbell and Carl Jenkinson have also been linked to the exit door at the club, as Arsenal have too many players on the books. Goal also reports that Akpom will travel to Thessaloniki on Monday to finalize the move.
At 22, Akpom needs a team that will guarantee him regular playing time to aid his development.