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 Boro for £2.75 million, returning to PAOK on loan for 2021/22, before 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.

Photo: Stefan Koops - EYE4images via Reuters Connect

htb added 13:05 - Aug 4 Gosh some people really are strange. Wanting Game Changer to move on !!! Do they remember life under Evan’s!!!
5

JewellintheTown added 13:29 - Aug 4 The expert drama queens on here are doing my fruit in more than the rumours of signings. Melodrama is like a drug to some on here.
1

1960H added 13:32 - Aug 4 Nice to try and gazump another club rather than being the other way round!
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warktheline added 13:50 - Aug 4 Desperate times! Really? All McKenna is trying to do is to get enough cover in his squad, it just so happens strikers are obviously the hardest position to get in the door! Desperate times were under Evans, who told McCarthy that he was under no pressure to win games and would have to build his squad on sick notes and journeymen! Get a grip!
4

Gforce added 14:01 - Aug 4 Looks like he's got a straight choice between us and Middlesbrough, let's hope he believes we are the more viable option,with a much better chance of promotion than his previous club.
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Tampa_Florida_Blue added 14:10 - Aug 4 You can tell it is Monday, the moaning gang are out in full force Wow
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blueoutlook added 14:34 - Aug 4 Panic buy. We clearly aren’t getting our top targets. Akpom doesn’t fit into a KM type of side up top. Smacks of desperation. We had £15 million to splash on the kid who would be homesick if he left the north .Why don’t we go after Ivanovic from Millwall. I’m sure they would love the money, if you don’t try you don’t get.
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Gforce added 15:27 - Aug 4 Blueoutlook......Good suggestion, but let him play on Saturday against Norwich first !
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