Ajax are reportedly putting pressure on Blues target Chuba Akpom to join Birmingham City on a permanent deal rather than Town on a season-long loan.

Yesterday, the 29-year-old was on the verge of signing for the Midlanders on loan until the Blues matched the terms of the deal, which includes the obligation to sign on a permanent basis for £7 million next summer on promotion, and the player opted for a move to Suffolk.

Having completed his medical with Town, Birmingham then made an approach to Ajax to sign Akpom on a permanent basis for a fee understood to be £6 million.

However, TWTD revealed this morning that the former Arsenal youngster remained determined to join Town despite the St Andrew’s club’s continued pursuit.

The matter appeared to be settled when reports from Germany indicated Birmingham had turned their attention to Werder Bremen attacker Marvin Ducksch for €2 million (£1.7 million), however, they look to be maintaining their interest.


According to Sky Sports News, Ajax are now putting pressure on Akpom to join Birmingham on a permanent basis rather than the Blues on loan with talks between the clubs continuing.

Akpom is understood to remain in Suffolk and ready to complete the formalities on his switch to Town.

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, 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 have been 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

Monkey_Blue added 19:25 - Aug 5 I would imagine Akpom is pretty angry with both Ajax and Birmingham if this is true. Why would Birmingham want to have a player bullied into signing for them and why would Ajax risk the player saying “If that’s your game, I’m staying put unless it’s the original Ipswich deal” I sense the American style of business is far more prevalent at Brum than it is at Town.
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Monkey_Blue added 19:25 - Aug 5 I would imagine Akpom is pretty angry with both Ajax and Birmingham if this is true. Why would Birmingham want to have a player bullied into signing for them and why would Ajax risk the player saying “If that’s your game, I’m staying put unless it’s the original Ipswich deal” I sense the American style of business is far more prevalent at Brum than it is at Town.
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Monkey_Blue added 19:25 - Aug 5 I would imagine Akpom is pretty angry with both Ajax and Birmingham if this is true. Why would Birmingham want to have a player bullied into signing for them and why would Ajax risk the player saying “If that’s your game, I’m staying put unless it’s the original Ipswich deal” I sense the American style of business is far more prevalent at Brum than it is at Town.
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Tampa_Florida_Blue added 19:30 - Aug 5 What I heard was Ajax had agreed to both teams involved and it was up to Akpom to choose.
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Dozzells_Bobblehat added 19:35 - Aug 5 We really do have some fanny's on here. Ashton has said it many times, just wait til it's announced ced . Those saying why have Norwich completed more signings , that might be cos no one else wants them ? It's the same every year we try and sign early but selling clubs like to hold on for as much as poss and its often reliant on a chain of transfers before players become available.

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TractorfactorSteve added 19:46 - Aug 5 Ajax, scouring the bottom of the pan.
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Tractorboy58 added 19:52 - Aug 5 If he is really a major target just pay uo front the £6 million and we also have a player that is fully ours - it sounds like he wants to be with us ..just get it done!
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KRO added 20:00 - Aug 5 Ipswich fans you will soon come to realise that Bcfc (the genuine Blues) will stop at nothing to gain promotion to the prem and your inability to poach one of our targets doesn’t surprise me at all. With the talent at our disposal already will be a big eye opener for you on Friday. KRO
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bluesissy added 20:20 - Aug 5 I don't know about anyone else but im sick to death of this transfer window....the inability to get deals done is mind numbing....other clubs seem to have no problems... this is going to cost itfc badly. Terrible transfer window so far. We will pay for this.
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bluesince76 added 20:30 - Aug 5 Just pay the six million and get him in on a permanent transfer.
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tetchris added 20:41 - Aug 5 The problem is he is allegedly on £80k a week at Ajax. The loan deal agreed was that whoever he signed for would pay 60% of his wages. I don’t think Brum could afford to sign him permanently unless a similar arrangement to subsidise his wages on a permanent transfer to get him off their wage bill has been agreed. I doubt there is any player in the championship on £80k a week?

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KRO added 20:56 - Aug 5 He’s on his way to Brum
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Jas1980 added 21:06 - Aug 5 KRO you talk some nonsense, and very strange you being on a rival teams page
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BobbyBell added 21:24 - Aug 5 Good players are wanted and we have to compete where we can with other clubs. A quick and easy transfer would be for a player that no one else wants. Let's just be patient.
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dirtydingusmagee added 21:46 - Aug 5 Just bored and frustrated with it now, I'd be more concerned had he been a long time target, I may be wrong but he seems to have been plucked from thin air.We lost Delap which we expected,looks like we will lose Hutchinson too ,but we don't seem to have or had a deffinate target replacement and are just trying to stick a tail on the donkey.Probably get down marked but I don't lose sleep over marking it's just my opinion,we are all entitled to them .I just think we have not so far made much of the window ,and the sharp dealings when we came out of the Evans era seem to have gone. Any way I've had a jar or three and I'm off to my pit.Fingers crossed some positive news before Friday.

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blues1 added 21:54 - Aug 5 BillM. Acronym. BillM total joke of a fan
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blues1 added 21:58 - Aug 5 While it may not mean anything, just been on birminghams official website and theres nothing about Akpom on there at all.
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Fatboy added 22:24 - Aug 5 To all those calling on Town to just pay up and buy him, have you considered that it might be the player and his agent who prefer the season-long loan with a permanent deal if we get promoted? That gives the player a route out of the club if we fail to go up this season. Ajax would clearly prefer to sell now as they'd get their money sooner.
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jas0999 added 22:32 - Aug 5 Why wouldn’t we want a permanent deal? Surely much better than a team packed of loans. It sadly seems that’s what we primarily want. Loans. Overall a dreadful pre season for incoming transfers. As Km said, we are lacking in certain areas. Not replacing Delap despite knowing he was off after relegation is quite remarkable. When all was good, you couldn’t keep Ashton out of the press … haven’t heard a great deal from him recently.

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Linkboy13 added 23:10 - Aug 5 Why would he want to play league one football with Brum next season.
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armchaircritic59 added 23:32 - Aug 5 Good evening KRO, if indeed you are a genuine BC fan, then congratulations on your promotion to this seasons championship. The only thing I'm concerned about is what the table look likes at the end of the season. Fridays admittedly spicy encounter is just over 2% of the entire season, it will decide absolutely nothing, but it will give a lift to whoever wins, if either does.

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Ianseamark added 00:17 - Aug 6 LOL KRO WHAT A LOAD OF NONSENSE ENJOY LIVING IN BIRMINGHAM DO YOU?
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Ianseamark added 00:25 - Aug 6 KRO - REMIND ME - HAVE BCFC EVER WON THE UEFA CUP OR THE FA CUP?
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ipswichone added 01:18 - Aug 6 This deal should be done and dusted,akpom choice was Ipswich.Think we need better scouts and better organization, when it comes to finalising deals.What will be,will be.
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