FORMER Arsenal ace Chuba Akpom has moved to Ipswich Town to end one of the biggest transfer sagas of the summer.
Akpom, 29, joined the Gunners’ esteemed Hale End academy back in 2002 and was promoted to the first team 11 years later.
Former Arsenal ace Chuba Akpom has moved to Ipswich after an insane transfer saga
Three different teams tried to sign Akpom from Ajax
The striker was loaned out to Brentford, Coventry, Nottingham Forest, Hull, Brighton and Sint-Truiden during a five-year stint with the North Londoners that saw him amassing 12 appearances.
The ex-England youth international has since undertaken a rather nomadic career that has seen him playing for Middlesbrough but also moving overseas for PAOK, Lille and most recently Ajax.
But Akpom will be returning to English football following a bonkers transfer saga.
The forward has joined Ipswich on a season-long loan from Ajax.
It’s believed the club have an obligation to buy Akpom if promoted to the Premier League.
Akpom first looked set to move to Birmingham, who initially agreed a loan deal of their own.
The Blues then fought off a hijack attempt from the centre-forward’s former club Middlesbrough.
But Ipswich were ultimately the ones that hijacked the deal and Akpom agreed to move to Portman Road.
Birmingham still refused to give up and changed their offer to a permanent transfer at the eleventh hour and so Ajax accepted a £6million fee.
The Dutch giants wanted Akpom to go to St Andrew’s but he had already passed his Ipswich medical.
And the ex-Arsenal ace made it clear to the Amsterdam outfit he wanted to join Kieran McKenna’s side.
There was even more drama recently as Birmingham hosted Ipswich on Friday in the first game of the Championship season which ended with a 1-1 draw.
Tensions boiled over at the end of the game with a 16-man brawl breaking out.
Akpom has expressed his delight at the move, saying: “I was really excited when I heard of the interest and I’m delighted to have joined a club with such big ambitions.
“I watch a lot of football and have always thought Ipswich would suit my style, so this move makes perfect sense.
“I have had lots of good experiences over the last few years, at Ajax and playing in the Champions League with Lille, and I feel like all of these have improved me as a player and helped me be the person I am now.
“I’m here to do as much as I can do to help the team, in the changing room and on the pitch, and I’ll bring a winning mentality here.”
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