Chuba Akpom has already stated future doubt as Sunderland linked with former Arsenal and Middlesbrough forward

Sunderland’s attempts to boost their attacking ranks has reportedly led the Black Cats to ramp up their interest in former Middlesbrough forward Chuba Akpom.

The former Arsenal academy product became a firm favourite with the Riverside Stadium faithful during his final season on Teesside and forged a reputation as one of the Championship’s most deadly marksmen. The five-times capped England Under-21 international took his time to hit his stride during his first two years with Boro and spent time on loan with PAOK Salonika - but after that temporary spell in Greece came to a close, Akpom produced the best season of his career.

After getting off the mark with a brace in Boro’s 2-2 home draw with Sheffield United in August 2022, the forward went on to score 29 goals in 39 appearances in all competitions - but failed to find the net as Michael Carrick’s side fell to a 1-0 aggregate defeat against Coventry City in a two-legged Championship play-off semi-final.

However, his form during the campaign had attracted interest form elsewhere and it was Dutch giants Ajax that won the race for his services when they agreed a fee believed to be worth around £10m during the summer of 2023. Although Akpom has struggled to earn regular starts during his time in Amsterdam, with 26 of his 67 appearances coming in the starting eleven, he has actually managed to rack up 23 goals in all competitions during that time.

However, he has now been linked with a move back to England and Dutch outlet De Telegraaf have claimed the forward has been told he can leave Ajax before next Monday’s transfer deadline and named Sunderland are possible suitors alongside Premier League strugglers Leicester City and Ligue 1 club Marseille. But what has been said about his future and Sunderland’s transfer activity over the final week of the window?

What has Akpom said about his Ajax future?

Akpom was surprisingly open about his future with the Eredivise giants when speaking to Dutch outlet NOS during the summer. Despite stressing he was unsure what lay ahead as the summer transfer window drew to a close, he did remain with the club and has gone on to score eight goals in 31 appearances in all competitions and that tally includes a Europa League strike in a win against Qarabag.

On his future, Akpom said: "To be honest, I don't know what the situation is exactly. What I have learned in my career is to just keep focusing on football. If you start thinking about things off the pitch, you get distracted. So I don't know if I will be here next week or at the end of the transfer window. But every day I come to the club, I train as if I will stay here this season. I want to be part of a team that needs me. I don't think I can sit on the bench as a second striker for another year. If I get more involved in the games this year, then I'll be happy to stay here. If that's not the case, then maybe it's time to look elsewhere. We'll see."

What did Akpom say about his time as a Middlesbrough player?

Speaking prior to his departure to Ajax when speculation over extending his Boro contract hit the headlines, Akpom admitted he ‘felt at home’ with Michael Carrick’s side. He said: "I’ve made it clear that I feel at home here, so I think me saying that shows that I would love to stay. I’ve played my best football here and I just feel very loved by the fans. I still get a lot of love from the fans and I still feel at home at the club, in and around the training ground and stuff. We’ll just have to see how things go. A lot of things are not in my control or not in my hands, so I just have to focus on getting fit and being ready to play football again."

What has Regis Le Bris said about Sunderland’s transfer activity?

As reported earlier by The Echo, the Black Cats head coach has already stated he would like any transfer activity concluded before his side make the short trip to Middlesbrough on Monday, despite conceding the transfer market was ‘unpredictable’. He said: "I would like this, but it is not often the case. Because the market is unpredictable. We will try our best to protect the team because we have two timelines, how we want to prepare this game to be fully engaged and at the same time, we know so that some adjustment [to the squad] could be useful for the future. We will try our best to try and manage these two timelines properly."