After failing to secure promotion to the Premier League, there are doubts about the future of Middlesbrough striker Chuba Akpom according to a report from Football League World.
What is Chuba Akpom's situation at Middlesbrough?
Akpom was the surprise package of the Championship season after being reintegrated into the fold at Boro. Originally the belief was the Englishman would leave after a loan spell to Greek side PAOK Salonika the previous season.
However, injuries and depth issues meant that then-manager Chris Wilder turned to Akpom to lead the line, and the 28-year-old never looked back, especially following the arrival of former Manchester United assistant manager Michael Carrick.
The forward scored 28 goals and assisted two in 40 games in the division, with 24 coming under his new manager, as Middlesbrough finished in fourth place. It earned Akpom a sport in the Championship Team of the Season, whilst he also won both the Golden Boot and Championship Player of the Season.
Despite his incredible form under Carrick, it wasn't enough to fire the club to promotion, with Boro experiencing play-off heartbreak at the hands of Coventry City, losing 2-1 across two legs.
Midway through the season, the former Arsenal man was the subject of interest from a number of clubs including Everton, Southampton and Crystal Palace, according to the Daily Mail, however, the northeast outfit exercised the one-year extension clause in the player's contract, taking his current deal to the summer of 2024.
Will Chuba Akpom leave Middlesborough this summer?
Football League World reports that the Boro striker will be 'gettable' this summer when it comes to a transfer as the club will not want to risk losing the player for free following the expiry of his contract next summer.
Due to missing out on promotion, it is reported that Middlesbrough will have to sell players this summer in order to fund Carrick's transfers this summer, much like their situation from the previous summer, which resulted in the sales of Marcus Tavernier to Bournemouth and Djed Spence to Tottenham Hotspur.
According to Alan Nixon on Patreon, the contract extension that was triggered in January does very little to secure the striker's long-term future at Boro, with the Championship side set to demand a fee of £15m, to part ways with their Player of the Season, who was hailed as "remarkable" by journalist Oluwashina Okeleji for his domestic exploits this term.
If Carrick and co were to lose the former Arsenal youngster, then it would certainly be a massive blow to their chances of going one better next season. Of course, his goals would leave behind a major void but as Boro's highest-rated player, per WhoScored figures, his influence right across the frontline will be felt, having also ranked second for dribbles per game and fifth for key passes per game too.
It is expected that the majority of clubs that held an interest in the 28-year-old will return this summer, and Akpom may well get his chance at the Premier League level for the first time in his career.
