Leicester City 'drop out' of Sunderland striker target race, player 'on his way out' of current club

Leicester City have “dropped out” of the race to sign reported Sunderland striker target Chuba Akpom, according to an update from the Netherlands.

The 29-year-old has emerged as a potential option for the Black Cats in recent days amid their ongoing hunt for attacking reinforcements in the closing stages of the January window, with the prospect of a potential exit from current club Ajax repeatedly floated.

Indeed, it is understood that a number of sides are monitoring Akpom’s situation with view to testing the Dutch giants’ resolve over the coming days, and reports earlier in the week claimed that Leicester were among those willing to go toe-to-toe with Sunderland for his signature.

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The Black Cats may, however, have been handed a boost in their efforts to sign the forward, with an update from Mike Verweij of De Telegraaf stating that the Foxes have shelved any plans they might have had to lure Akpom to the Premier League this month. Writing on X, the reporter said: “Chuba Akpom on his way out at Ajax. Rental with option to purchase. Leicester City dropped out. Currently prepared to meet Amsterdam requirements: Lille, Fiorentina, Sunderland”.

In a linked article, Verweij goes on to state that Akpom is “about to leave Ajax”, and that he has “already expressed his desire to leave to the club management at an early stage”. It is also claimed that he “hardly appears” in manager Francesco Farioli's plans.

Reports from the Netherlands have previously suggested that Akpom would not be keen on a switch to Wearside, while sources have indicated that a deal would be difficult to secure for the Black Cats. Meanwhile, in a separate update on Thursday afternoon, French outlet Foot Mercato claimed that Lille are “currently in pole position” to sign the player, with the Ligue 1 eager to wrap up a deal “as quickly as possible”. The report does acknowledge, however, that Sunderland “continue to push”, as do RC Lens.

Speaking last week, head coach Régis Le Bris outlined Sunderland's goal for their final January transfer window addition, emphasising the desire to bring in another attacking player. He said: "Probably we still need some more vertical threats, players who could run in behind. This could be a striker but also a winger, maybe a versatile player. So this is still very much in our mind, but we will see what comes in these next weeks. But it is not necessarily about a number nine."

Akpom began his career as a youth prospect with Arsenal, and would go on to make 12 first team appearances for the Gunners. During his time in North London, he enjoyed loan stints with the likes of Brentford, Coventry City, Hull City, Nottingham Forest, and Brighton and Hove Albion, as well as Belgian side Sint-Truiden. In 2018, he left Arsenal on a permanent basis to sign for Greek outfit PAOK Salonika, but returned to England two years later to join Middlesbrough. During a prolific stint on Teesside, Akpom registered 34 goals in 82 outings - a record that convinced Ajax to sign him for a fee of around £12.2 million, including add-ons.

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