Ajax coach regrets letting go of Chuba Akpom

By Monsurah Olatunji

Ajax head coach Francesco Farioli has expressed regret over the decision to sell Nigerian forward Chuba Akpom to Lille in January.

The coach’s comments came after the team’s disappointing 6-2 aggregate defeat to Eintracht Frankfurt, which saw Ajax eliminated from the Europa League on Thursday.

The loss means Ajax’s hopes of silverware this season now rest solely on the Eredivisie, as they were also knocked out of the Dutch KNVB Beker by AZ Alkmaar in mid-January.

In the aftermath of the Europa League exit, Farioli admitted that the absence of key players, including Akpom, had severely impacted the team’s performance.

“It is difficult to play at a high level in three competitions if you lose Devyne Rensch, Chuba Akpom, and about six other players. I think we made a mistake by selling Akpom in January,” Farioli said, as quoted by Ajax1.

Akpom, who joined Ajax from Middlesbrough in the summer of 2023 for over €12 million, struggled to cement a starting spot in the first team.

Despite registering seven goals and one assist in 30 appearances, mostly from the bench, the 28-year-old was sold to Lille in the winter transfer window.

Since moving to Lille, Akpom’s game time has not significantly increased. He has appeared in seven matches and scored two goals for the French side.