Despite booking their place in next season’s UEFA Champions League, Ajax Amsterdam are actively seeking to part ways with Nigerian striker Chuba Akpom during the upcoming summer transfer window.
According to reports from Dutch outlet Algemeen Dagblad, relayed by Football Transfers, the decision is financially driven. A clause in Akpom’s contract triggers a salary increase upon Champions League qualification an obligation Ajax are now eager to avoid as they work to reduce their wage bill.
Akpom arrived in Amsterdam from Middlesbrough in the summer of 2023 for €12.3 million, signed under former director of football Sven Mislintat. However, his signing no longer aligns with the club’s current strategic direction. Limited game time during his first half-season led to a loan move to Lille in France this past January.
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While his time in Ligue 1 was modest netting three goals and adding one assist in 16 appearances Lille are not expected to exercise their purchase option, reported to be worth over €12 million. The club has, however, publicly acknowledged his contributions.
Now 29, Akpom still has three years left on his contract with Ajax. Though he boasts 23 goals and four assists from 68 games for the Dutch giants, his future at the Johan Cruyff Arena appears uncertain.
Editorial
Football, for all its poetry and passion, often reveals a harsher business reality — and Chuba Akpom’s situation at Ajax reminds us just how ruthless that world can be.
We see this not as a reflection of Akpom’s quality, but as a symptom of modern football’s growing obsession with financial efficiency. Ajax’s decision to offload a proven goal scorer despite a Champions League campaign ahead is not about performance — it’s about payroll.
It’s disheartening that a contract clause designed to reward success is now the very reason the player is being pushed out. Akpom did what any professional is expected to do contribute, adapt, and honour his commitments. Yet, when the numbers don’t fit the books, sentiment is swiftly discarded.
This also signals a broader dilemma in European football. Clubs often make hasty recruitment decisions, driven by short-term needs or changes in leadership, only to backtrack once strategy shifts. The result? Players like Akpom, who were once centrepieces, are suddenly surplus.
We believe Akpom still holds tremendous value. His Championship golden boot at Middlesbrough wasn’t a fluke. His resilience, honed across leagues and borders, will serve any club that recognises the need for a seasoned, intelligent forward.
He deserves a club that sees beyond balance sheets — one that values contribution, not just cost.
Did You Know?
- Chuba Akpom was once touted as a future Arsenal star, making his senior debut for the Gunners at age 17 under Arsène Wenger.
- He scored 28 goals in all competitions for Middlesbrough during the 2022–2023 season, earning the Championship Golden Boot.
- Akpom is a product of Arsenal’s Hale End Academy, which has also produced Bukayo Saka, Emile Smith Rowe, and Jack Wilshere.
- Ajax have won the UEFA Champions League four times, but their last triumph came in 1995.
- While on loan at Sint-Truiden in Belgium in 2018, Akpom played alongside Nigerian forward Samuel Asamoah.
