Akpom.

Rumoured to have an injury.

Couldn't see him in the training picture today.

Wonder if he really is injured and getting treatment...or he's lined up somewhere.
 
WindyNook said:
Nah! It'll take ages for the club shop to take those adverts down.
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he's not going anywhere..
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I think there will be very few opportunities for him to join a Premier league team. One good season isnt really enough for most clubs to gamble on him making it at premier league level. I fully expect him to be in a boro shirt next season and will be delighted he is. Personally i think he would be far better advised to stick with the only manager to get the best out of his talents Michael carrick.
 
Glover_elbow said:
I think there will be very few opportunities for him to join a Premier league team. One good season isnt really enough for most clubs to gamble on him making it at premier league level. I fully expect him to be in a boro shirt next season and will be delighted he is. Personally i think he would be far better advised to stick with the only manager to get the best out of his talents Michael carrick.
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I like your optimism, but sadly feel it's misplaced. It wasn't just a good season - it was outstanding. And whilst it's true that he appeared to make breakthroughs under Carrick, I fear gratitude alone won't be sufficient for him to resist the gravity-like lure of Premiership money and profile. Would dearly love to be wrong, but it seems to me the risks involved in waiting are to great for him to fail to ride the crest of this wave.
 
equaliser said:
I like your optimism, but sadly feel it's misplaced. It wasn't just a good season - it was outstanding. And whilst it's true that he appeared to make breakthroughs under Carrick, I fear gratitude alone won't be sufficient for him to resist the gravity-like lure of Premiership money and profile. Would dearly love to be wrong, but it seems to me the risks involved in waiting are to great for him to fail to ride the crest of this wave.
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Tbf he was playing very well for Wilder also, I think something just clicked for him last season
 
Colgates_shaving_foam said:
Totally agree.

I can't understand why loads of our fans want to give our greatest striker in decades away for buttons?
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It's a sad consequence of our failure to gain promotion - one of the reasons why I couldn't get my head around a section of our support saying they weren't that bothered about promotion.

If we receive an offer of £15m the club will sell, but I honestly won't be surprised if we accept a lower offer, especially if he won't sign a new contract.

The reality is, when you're a Championship club it's likely you'll have to sell at least one key player. Last summer it was Tav, and I fear this summer it will be Akpom.
 
It's up to Gibson really. Whether he wants to gamble on promotion with Chuba, or lose out on hefty transfer fee. Quite a conundrum.
 
equaliser said:
I like your optimism, but sadly feel it's misplaced. It wasn't just a good season - it was outstanding. And whilst it's true that he appeared to make breakthroughs under Carrick, I fear gratitude alone won't be sufficient for him to resist the gravity-like lure of Premiership money and profile. Would dearly love to be wrong, but it seems to me the risks involved in waiting are to great for him to fail to ride the crest of this wave.
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I am yet to be convinced he will be inundated with premier league offers no matter how much he desires the step up. I think he has more chance of a move in January when premier teams around the bottom are desperately looking for a striker, especially if his goal scoring form continues into this season.
 
Akpom clearly has professional and financial desires to play at the top level. Who can blame him. However, the clubs showing interest in him are all a huge gamble. He's been in bad situations before, and he also knows the fickleness of most football chairman and how a new manager puts some players out of the picture. He clearly really wanted to go up with us last year and he would have signed a contract over the summer without doubt.

But, here we are another season in the championship and Chuba is 28 in a few months time. So what does he do? The clubs that have been linked are foreign, or teams that will struggle like Luton. I think he would refuse a move to a club like Luton or a mid/lower table French side. I think he has bought in 100% into being a number 10, he doesn't want to get pushed back up to 9 or out wide. I think he's enjoying the attacking style and doesn't want to go to a bottom end prem team that are defending for 80% of the game.

I think he will stay, and build his reputation further, by proving last season was not a one off. He keeps his options open if he sees his contract out, while building his stock by still scoring. Come this time next year, I think he hopes we go up, but if not he'll do a Brereton-Diaz and have the pick of clubs to go to. The gamble of course is that he may get a bad injury during the season and be without a contract, but I'm sure he'll have insurance against that.
 
BoroMart said:
Akpom clearly has professional and financial desires to play at the top level. Who can blame him. However, the clubs showing interest in him are all a huge gamble. He's been in bad situations before, and he also knows the fickleness of most football chairman and how a new manager puts some players out of the picture. He clearly really wanted to go up with us last year and he would have signed a contract over the summer without doubt.

But, here we are another season in the championship and Chuba is 28 in a few months time. So what does he do? The clubs that have been linked are foreign, or teams that will struggle like Luton. I think he would refuse a move to a club like Luton or a mid/lower table French side. I think he has bought in 100% into being a number 10, he doesn't want to get pushed back up to 9 or out wide. I think he's enjoying the attacking style and doesn't want to go to a bottom end prem team that are defending for 80% of the game.

I think he will stay, and build his reputation further, by proving last season was not a one off. He keeps his options open if he sees his contract out, while building his stock by still scoring. Come this time next year, I think he hopes we go up, but if not he'll do a Brereton-Diaz and have the pick of clubs to go to. The gamble of course is that he may get a bad injury during the season and be without a contract, but I'm sure he'll have insurance against that.
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The factor we have (or 'he has') also to put in the mix is salary and length of contract.
He should easily get a 3 year contract anywhere and probably double the salary we can afford.

That's a fair bit of security and would test anyone who loves their boss, the team and the No 10 role.
 
1finny said:
The factor we have (or 'he has') also to put in the mix is salary and length of contract.
He should easily get a 3 year contract anywhere and probably double the salary we can afford.

That's a fair bit of security and would test anyone who loves their boss, the team and the No 10 role.
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agreed, but also 'job satisfaction' is a clear must have for him. He isn't going to be happy on the bench somewhere, or stuck back at number 9, or victim to a chairman sacking the manager who bought him. I think his desire for prem, a prem long term contract and job satisfaction, will really limit the clubs he would consider signing for. So far no club matching that has come in. If he was on a free transfer next summer would some of those clubs come in for him? Or could we be promoted and he has the option to sign a new contract on prem wages?
 
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