By Wale Mustapha
Nigerian-born striker Chuba Akpom is attracting significant interest from both English Premier League side Leicester City and French Ligue 1 club Olympique Marseille, according to reports.
Akpom, who currently plays for Ajax, has been deemed surplus to requirements at the Dutch club and is expected to be loaned out during the ongoing January transfer window.
His potential departure from Ajax has sparked interest from several clubs, with Leicester City and Marseille both keen on securing his services.
The 29-year-old forward had previously turned down a move to English Championship side Sunderland, making it clear that he was waiting for an offer from top-tier clubs.
The entrance of Leicester and Marseille into the race could significantly impact Akpom’s decision on where to play next.
Akpom joined Ajax in 2023 after a stellar season with Middlesbrough, where he finished as the league’s top scorer.
Despite not being a regular starter at Ajax, where he has scored eight goals in 31 appearances, Akpom still has three-and-a-half years left on his contract with the Eredivisie club.
The striker’s impressive goal-scoring record from his time in England makes him an attractive prospect for both Leicester City, who are looking to strengthen their attack, and Marseille, who are looking to bolster their squad in the second half of the season.
Samuel Ahmadu is a distinguished multimedia journalist and women's football expert with over 15 years of experience in the industry. He began his career 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.
