Town manager Kieran McKenna has a couple of roles in mind for new signing Chuba Akpom to play more regularly, but says the 29-year-old, who joined on a season-long loan from Ajax on Sunday, is capable of operating in a wide variety of forward positions.

Just over a week ago, Akpom had seemed set to join Birmingham City with a loan deal done with the Dutch giants, however, the Blues swooped and the Londoner preferred a switch to Suffolk rather than the Midlands.

The move will become a permanent switch for £7 million should Town win promotion to the Premier League this season.

“We’re happy to have him,” McKenna said. “Really good Championship experience and pedigree. Has played different leagues now, has picked up lots of experiences, played in the Champions League last year [with loan side Lille]. A really versatile forward, who we think can bring us a lot.

“He’s had a really positive impact in his first couple of days around the training ground, upbeat guy, he’s excited to be here and we’re happy to have him.”

Akpom’s best season was playing as a number 10 for Middlesbrough in 2022/23, winning the Championship Golden Boot for netting 28 goals and bagging one more in the FA Cup.


Asked where he sees the former Arsenal academy youngster fitting in at Town, McKenna said: “I think he can do all of the roles across the front four. He’s played wide left, he’s played inside left, he’s played as a centre-forward, he’s played as a number 10 and he’s played wide right, so he can fill all of them.

“I’ve got one or two roles that I see him playing a little bit more. Usually with us, it’s more about trying to fit the strengths of the players into the team rather than pigeon-holing them into having to be this position or that.

“We know what Chuba’s good at and we’re going to try and get him into those situations as often as we can.”

Akpom, like midfielder Jens Cajuste, who rejoined on loan from Napoli last week, wasn’t considered ready to be involved in the Carabao Cup tie at Bromley.

“They need a bit more time, neither of them have done, certainly in Jens’s case, any sort of a pre-season,” McKenna explained.

“In Chuba’s case, sort of a very broken pre-season without any match minutes yet and a very disruptive week last week to say the least, so it would be reckless over the course of trying to have a successful season to rush them onto the pitch tonight. We’ll have to make decisions going into the weekend.”

Photo: ITFC

Karlosfandangal added 00:44 - Aug 13 Why o why was he not given 45 mins tonight along with Cajuste At least that would have given them some minutes
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Karlosfandangal added 00:44 - Aug 13 After tonight I can’t see us having to stump up the £7 million
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delias_cheesy_flaps added 04:57 - Aug 13 Heaven forbid we ever play 2 up front!
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poet added 06:18 - Aug 13 Well that was awful! We created hardly anything all match. It spoke volumes to me that this squad hasn’t got enough quality in depth. We have to forget this game and move on. In my opinion, we must use the remaining 18 days of this window to bring in more quality. I think the players we’ve brought in are good players, but it’s not been enough. The sooner we get Cajuste and Akpom match fit, the better. But we need more midfielders, certainly a left back, and perhaps another forward. McKenna has said there’s more work to be done, after last nights showing…. He’s absolutely right. He’s an excellent manager, but he needs backing.

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RIPbobby added 06:32 - Aug 13 Footballer are footballers give them football. That's what they are good at.
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itfcserbia added 06:40 - Aug 13 Hopefully one of those roles means we'll see less of JC on the pitch.
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JewellintheTown added 07:00 - Aug 13 I'm more excited this means Al Hamadi will be benched & Hirst will be pressured to sharpen up his game. Hope we have more come in too. Delaps strength & bullying & abilities is being missed, so hopefully Chuba can bully defences about more than what we currently have. I bet he wouldn't have missed his penalty last night either.
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Steelmonkey added 07:25 - Aug 13 A bit lost for words really, same old same old comes to mind when it comes to facing these little teams. To quote an old has been “we had a strong team on paper unfortunately we played the game on grass”. Two goalkeepers on the bench what was that all about apart from showing the world what a poor squad in depth we have.
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LoveIpswichForever added 08:16 - Aug 13 I'll probably get down votes for this, but, we need to give them time to work together and gel. On our rapid and very exciting ascent, we have now lost Skip and some really solid players in Burgess and Luongo. A lot of the championship squad likely feel unsettled as we bought in new lads last summer who have, rightly or wrongly, givethose guys less game time. McKenna is being careful as Burns injured and Philogene returning, with Broadhead looking like going to Wrexham and Hutchinson wanting a prem move. Let's get behind them now and help settle the new boys in and remind the team how much we love them and are proud of what they've achieved recently. We can judge them after 12 games or so. Yes, last night was bad. But we've had so much good, and I have faith they'll get it right. Uppa town!!!

10

Carberry added 08:40 - Aug 13 Let's have him in his best position, the one he is most comfortable and effective in. Remember what happened to Hutchinson, much less effective as a number 10 than a wide player.
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Drifter3012 added 09:09 - Aug 13 I don't get it! I thought these players were supposed to be super fit athletes. But they still can't run and kick a ball against some League 2 reserve players?
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TimmyH added 11:08 - Aug 13 Lets hope he's not a let down like a number we have signed over the last year...
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tetchris added 11:31 - Aug 13 I suggest Kieran he plays in the role he is best at and scores the most goals from.
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Marinersnose added 12:43 - Aug 13 Every player needs a pre season regardless of how fit they are. Match fitness is totally different and without pre season McKenna runs the risk of one or both players getting injured. Cajuste will probably be 2-3 weeks away but Akpom could potentially make the bench soon as he has been training. We know Cajuste carries a knee issue so we must be patient.
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DifferentGravy added 13:36 - Aug 13 Does this potential new role(s) mean Mckenna will finally having a plan B?!
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runaround added 14:23 - Aug 13 Hopefully these roles involve him actually playing on the pitch! We seem to have far too many players currently unable to play on the pitch. This needs to change
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bignics added 15:49 - Aug 13 So Kmc states “ Usually with us, it’s more about trying to fit the strengths of the players into the team rather than pigeon-holing them into having to be this position or that.” What absolute rubbish that is McKenna you have plan a plan a or if that doesn’t work stick with plan a no matter who the player is or what their strengths are!! Do you not think we have worked you out like every opposition manager has already!!

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Bazza8564 added 16:30 - Aug 13 I find the challenges to Kms leadership on here quite astonishing. We've drawn one of the most difficult league games of the season, and been knocked out of a Cup competition we can't win and when we have 46 league games, with our B team being beaten on penalties. Clearly some of the morons who have been writing here and elsewhere didn't fork out a few quid to watch the pre season games, whee we won comfortable away again Aberdeen and Auxerre, both of whom were supposedly one to two weeks ahead of their leagues starting. Marinersnose, yes, you nailed it. If you don't build up the conditioning carefully players burn out quickly and pick up all sorts of Injuries, Just as Cajuste, Phillips, Jaden, Ogbone etc etc all did last season when they arroved late and got chucked in. KM knows exactly what he is doing, and MA is working hard to land players as early as he can. But the window doesnt work like that.Players are all hedging their bets to see who bids for them before choosing and moving late in the window. Thats exactly what Hackney is doing. He hasnt said hes not coming here, the papers have said that. It's a waiting game. And as for Akpom, it's great to have him here in whatever position. We may see him from the bench 2-3 times before he is ready to start, just as we may see Jens for 55 minutes from the start as he gradually builds his fitness up to match level. It's a jigsaw. Beat Southampton Sunday the whole frame of mind changes....

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blueboy1981 added 17:06 - Aug 13 Not another going to be played out of position surely … ???
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Bluedocker added 09:40 - Aug 14 From a friend who's a Middlesborough fan.. His most successful season for us was playing just behind the strike in the number 10 role. Anywhere else he's just a average player who gets lost in the game.. Hope he's wrong though...
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