Chuba Akpom Can Boro Ward off Besiktas’ Interest?

Amid speculation linking Chuba Akpom with a possible move to Besiktas in the summer transfer window, Middlesbrough boss Neil Warnock has provided an update on the future of Super Eagles hopeful.

Warnock has yet to give the green light to Akpom leaving the club because he feels that he does not have enough experienced strikers on his roster ahead of the new Championship season.
Should the former Arsenal star move on to new pastures without Boro signing a replacement, Warnock would be left with only Uche Ikpeazu as the senior striker in the squad.

Warnock has indicated that whoever wants to sign Akpom, including Turkish Super Lig club Besiktas, will have to meet their asking price for the 25-year-old.
In quotes relayed by Teesside Live, Warnock said when quizzed on Akpom’s future: “At the moment we’ve only got him and Uche.

“I think everybody knows if the right offer comes in we’d consider that but at the same time we are still looking at other forwards.
“I know Crooksy can go up there but we need another couple of strikers there. If Duncan gets injured, we’re short.”

Akpom scored five goals and assisted two others in 39 outings for Middlesbrough over the course of the 2020-2021 campaign.
Media reports in Turkey said champions Besiktas have submitted an offer to English Championship club for Akpom.
He was also linked to Besiktas last season and according to Fotomac, they have now made a first formal bid for the striker, who returned to England last summer from PAOK of Greece.
He cost Middlesbrough three million Euros.

Last season, Akpom scored five goals and made four assists in 42 appearances for ‘Boro.
Besiktas want the striker on a season-long loan during which they hope to showcase him on the UEFA Champions League shop window so as to shore up his transfer market valuation.

The report said Besiktas trump card in these negotiations is Champions League football.
The 25-year-old goal poacher revealed his intention of featuring for the Super Eagles at senior level and has turned his back on England to play international football for Nigeria.

Born and raised in the European country, Akpom has represented England at every youth level between U-16 and U-21, featuring 41 times and scoring 18 goals. However, Akpom disclosed he was swapping allegiances permanently, after giving the issue a great deal of thought.

“I’ve only just recently switched my allegiance, so I’ve signed the documents and hopefully in the next few weeks it will be approved to enable me to play for Nigeria,” he told BBC Sport.
“I’ve been wanting to do that for many years now but not many people know this. It’s just been a matter of sorting it out, which is now in a process. I’m looking forward to it. It was a personal decision. I’m Nigerian and my whole family feels very Nigerian and it will be nice to represent Nigeria.”

Akpom had trained with Gernot Rohr’s men at Barnet in March 2017, and he is excited with the prospect of linking up his childhood friend, Alex Iwobi. “It will also be nice to link up with Alex Iwobi again and play for the national team. We started playing when we were younger together and to make that step to play for the national team together will be amazing,” he continued.

“I wasn’t surprised because at the time he wasn’t playing for England, he came out of nowhere and he started playing for Arsenal and from there he just progressed, so I wasn’t surprised when he picked to play for Nigeria.

“It was the better decision to make, now he’s played in the World Cup and the Africa Cup of Nations. I’ve always said that I’d like to play with him again for Nigeria, we’ve always spoke about that.
“We’ve played together since we were five and six years old, we grew up together. It took me a while to settle down and to get used to the environment in Greece. Going to play abroad and in another league has helped me, but I hope to take my career to the next level with Nigeria.”

Before joining the Greek Super League outfit, the 25-year-old was sent on loan at Brentford, Coventry City, Nottingham Forrest, Hull City, Brighton & Hove Albion, and Sint-Truiden following his inability to get regular action at his boyhood club, Arsenal.