Arsenal Star Completes Loan Switch To Championship Outfit Fighting For Promotion
Jan 31, 2017 at 2:35 PM
With just 8 points behind Chelsea at the top of the table, Arsene Wenger’s team is currently the closest challenger at the moment for the Premier League title after their London rivals, but they will have to be at their best until the end of the season to stand a shot at silverware.
The manager has been looking to add players in the window but has also been busy sending players out on loan and one such player who has now completed a switch away from the club is youngster Chuba Akpom.
The 21-year-old striker has enjoyed loan spells at Brentford, Coventry and Nottingham Forest and spent the last season at the KCOM, helping the Tigers to a place in the top flight this season.
He is also a mainstay in the England U21 national side and is one of the most exciting youngsters in the domestic circuit. He has been on the books of the Emirates since he was a kid but has just 4 senior appearances, the first of which came way back in 2013.
Arsene Wenger is now looking to give the youngster some regular game time and has now sanctioned a loan move to Championship leaders Brighton this January.
Chris Hughton’s side are desperate for attacking additions as they have a great chance of promotion for the first time in more than 30-years
and are hoping that Akpom can help them achieve their goals come the end of the season.
Speaking to the seagulls.co.uk, the Brighton manager said, ‘As soon as we allowed Elvis Manu to go out on loan we knew we wanted to add to the forward area, so we are delighted to bring in someone of Chuba’s calibre.
‘He is a young talent who gained valuable experience with Hull in the Championship last season, will give us really good pace in the forward areas and complement the other strikers at the club,” he added.
Akpom, who has 9 substitute appearances for the Gunners in his career has now officially completed a move to the Championship outfit and is expected to play his first game on the 11th of the next month.
Hughton also explained that his club had to fend off interests from elsewhere for the 21-year old and went on to thank that Premier League outfit for lending the player on loan.
‘We fought off competition from other clubs to sign Chuba and we would like to thank Arsenal for the opportunity of working with him for the rest of the season,” Hughton added.
At his age, Akpom needs plenty of game time and it will be important for Brighton and Arsenal to give him as many starts as possible from now till the end of the season.
Do you think a loan deal for Akpom is the right decision from Wenger?