Middlesbrough hit the jackpot with £2.75m striker, he made the club millions: View

Championship teams have wasted significant sums of money on average players over the years. On the other hand, they have frequently found jewels for a steep discount, which they have subsequently sold for a profit.

Few players have ever produced as much for Middlesbrough on a small investment as Chuba Akpom did in terms of pure financial worth.

Despite Middlesbrough finishing fourth in the table and losing 1-0 on aggregate to Coventry in the play-off semi-final, the former Arsenal academy graduate was crowned Championship Player of the Year in 2023.

Akpom scored 29 goals in 42 games in all competitions for Boro, earning him a high-profile move to Ajax in a deal that might have cost up to £12.2 million.

It was as surprising as it was thrilling to watch his rise from peripheral player to the Championship’s leading scorer two seasons ago.

After spending £2.75 million to move with Boro from Greek team PAOK in the summer of 2020, Akpom scored twice in his opening two games. However, he only managed three goals in his following 36 Championship outings before being loaned back to PAOK at the conclusion of his first campaign on Teesside.

Although Akpom’s return to Greece resulted in 11 goals in 52 games across all competitions, there was no indication that he would develop into the prolific striker that Boro so desperately wanted.

How Michael Carrick resurrected Chuba Akpom’s career at Boro

Nevertheless, Akpom started two of Middlesbrough’s first three league games of the season, scoring twice in the latter, a 2-2 draw at home against Sheffield United, as Chris Wilder struggled to find attacking options.

However, Akpom’s redemption story was hardly complete when he suffered an injury that kept him out of action for a month. Nevertheless, he scored twice in his next six games.

However, it was Michael Carrick’s hiring in October 2023 that made Akpom the focal point of Boro’s campaign for promotion.

After taking over for Wilder in the Riverside dugout, the former England star quickly drew the most out of Akpom, who didn’t score on Carrick’s debut but did so in the following four games.

Akpom scored 24 goals in the Championship overall in 31 games played under the former Manchester United midfielder, and he gave Carrick credit for saving his career.

“In April of last year, I think he’s the manager I’ve been dreaming of my entire career,” he said to Sky Sports.

He is a delight to work with, to be honest. In addition, Since the manager has shown me so much faith and confidence, which I sincerely appreciate, I want to fight for him. In addition,

“As soon as he arrived, he placed me in the No. 10 job and simply granted me freedom to move around. He has given me the liberty to go out there and express myself, so if you see me on the pitch, I’m just going from right to left.

“I appreciate that so much.”

Why Boro had to sell Chuba Akpom to Ajax

After failing to score in either leg of the semi-final against Coventry, when Boro was kept scoreless in both games, Akpom’s incredible season came to an abrupt stop.

Though the 28-year-old did not reproduce his flamboyant form in his initial debut season with the three-time European Cup winners, that did not stop Ajax from signing him.

In his 36 appearances for the Amsterdammers previous season, the 28-year-old scored 15 goals, but he has struggled to establish himself as a starter. In February, Dutch publication Algemeen Dagblad, according to FootballTransfers, claimed that the player might be moved in the summer and that a return to England is a possibility.

Akpom’s impact at Boro is undeniable, even though his future is still unknown. He played a major role in pushing for a promotion and, more importantly, made it possible for Middlesbrough to make money off of him.

In addition to selling Djed Spence to Spurs for £12.5 million, Boro manage to make ends meet through player trading. Michael Carrick was able to bolster several positions with the sale of Akpom, as players such as Emmanuel Latte Lath, Seny Dieng, Lukas Engel, and Morgan Rogers arrived at Riverside Stadium for fees in the previous summer.