By Dayo Awoniyi
Ipswich Town have secured the signing of Nigerian striker Chuba Akpom on a season-long loan from Dutch giants Ajax, concluding one of the summer’s most high-profile transfer pursuits.
The 29-year-old forward, who spent the latter half of last season on loan at French club Lille — featuring in the UEFA Champions League — brings extensive Championship experience from previous spells with Middlesbrough, Brighton, Hull City, and Nottingham Forest.
Akpom becomes Ipswich’s sixth signing this summer and is expected to make his debut in Tuesday’s Carabao Cup fixture against Bromley.
Speaking to TownTV, Akpom expressed his enthusiasm about the move: “I was really excited when I heard of the interest and I’m delighted to have joined a club with such big ambitions.
“I watch a lot of football and have always thought Ipswich would suit my style, so this move makes perfect sense.”
Samuel Ahmadu is a distinguished multimedia journalist and women's football expert with over 15 years of experience in the industry. On the back of domestic engagement since 2008, he began his international career journey at Goal.com in February 2014, where he served as an African women's football correspondent for nearly eight years. During his tenure at Goal.com, Samuel covered major events such as three Women's Africa Cup of Nations (2016, 2018, 2022) and the 2015 FIFA Women's World Cup in Canada plus 2018 FIFA World Cup in Russia. His work at Goal.com earned him widespread acclaim, particularly for his in-depth profiles of African football stars, notably Asisat Oshoala, whose rise he documented from her early years to her breakthrough at the FIFA U20 Women's World Cup in 2014. Prior to his role at Goal.com, Samuel freelanced for various print and broadcast media outlets in Nigeria, including Graphics Newspaper, Radio Nigeria, Grace FM, and Savid Newspaper. His extensive experience and expertise led to his appointment to the Nigeria Football Federation's Standing Committee on Women's Football Development from 2016 to 2018. Since February 2018, Samuel has been the Social Media Manager for Nigeria's women's national teams.In 2019, Samuel joined the Confederation of African Football (CAF) as a women's football content contributor and was promoted to Women's Football Editor in 2021. His contributions to women's football continued as he worked as a Media Consultant for Content Creation and Editorials at the 2022 CAF Women's Champions League. Currently, Samuel also serves as the spokesman for the Nigeria Women Football League, further solidifying his influence and dedication to the growth of women's football in Africa.
