Town are reported to have made a late approach to Ajax to try to gazump Birmingham City’s loan move for striker Chuba Akpom.
The 29-year-old was due to undergo a medical at St Andrew’s today but, according to Sky Sports, the Blues have made a late push to sign the former Middlesbrough frontman.
The Midlanders, who Town travel to face in their Championship opener on Friday, are believed to have agreed a season-long loan with an option to buy at the end of the campaign for £7 million should the win promotion to the Premier League.
Akpom’s former club Boro and Greek side Olympiacos are also believed to be interested in the one-time Arsenal trainee.
According to Dutch reporter Mike Verweij, the Blues are looking to buy rather than loan Akpom.
If a deal is agreed with more than one side, then the player will make the decision on where he will play his football in 2025/26.
Newham-born Akpom came through the Gunners’ academy ranks and had spells on loan at Brentford, Coventry, Nottingham Forest, Hull City, Brighton and in Belgium with Sint-Truiden while a player at the Emirates.
Having made one senior start and 11 sub appearances, the 6ft tall striker moved on to PAOK Salonika in Greece for £900,000 in August 2018.
After two years, he joined Middlesbrough for £2.75 million, netting 28 goals as he top scored in the Championship in 2022/23, before returning to PAOK on loan for 2021/22, then joining Ajax for an initial €12.3 million (£10.7 million), rising to €14.3 million (£12.4 million) with add-ons.
He spent the second half of last season on loan in Ligue 1 in France with Lille, who chose not to take up an option to sign him permanently at the end of his spell.
An England cap at U16, U17, U19, U20 and U21 levels, Akpom has scored 21 goals in 39 starts and 40 sub appearances for Ajax in all competitions and bagged three in six starts and nine games from the bench during his short spell with Lille. For the Teessiders, he netted 34 goals in 59 starts and 23 games from the bench.
Town are very much in the hunt for another striker - probably two - to compete with George Hirst, Liam Delap having moved to Chelsea at the end of last season for £30 million, while Akpom also operates as a number 10.