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Earlier this week came the news that Chuba Akpom will stay at Arsenal for the time being, because he might be needed in August with the striker cupboard looking particularly bare. Of course, Arsenal fans on Twitter reacted with the equanimity and good grace for which they’ve become famous, venting their spleen as if the news were a sure indication that Arsene Wenger had given up on his search for a striker. In truth the decision makes sound pragmatic sense regardless of Arsenal’s transfer plans; with Olivier Giroud and Alexis Sanchez expected to be phased in slowly after tournament exertions and Danny Welbeck a long-term absentee, the club can’t afford to let any forwards leave just yet.
If Arsenal do sign a striker, as they are widely expected to, and Sanchez and Giroud return by the end of August without any fitness problems then Akpom could well leave late on in the window in any case. Arsenal get plenty of credit for producing youngsters, and with good reason. Hector Bellerin, Jack Wilshere, Francis Coquelin and Kieran Gibbs are all first team academy graduates. However, Arsenal’s academy has failed to produce them a centre-forward for decades; a problem that goes back to their rueful decision to release Andy Cole in 1992.
Arturo Lupoli, Nicklas Bendtner, Jay Simpson, Sanchez Watt and Jay Emmanuel-Thomas were all the cause of much excitement in North London, along with a host of other young forwards who fell by the wayside. It’s part of football’s law of natural selection that far more young players drift away than establish themselves, especially at a club of Arsenal’s size. The problem is particularly acute at the top end of the pitch where competition is at its most fierce, not only because of the players bought from outside but because Wenger tends to only play with one centre forward.
Akpom is an interesting case. The England youth international has scored 18 in 30 Under-21 Premier League appearances as well as four in six in the UEFA Youth League. However, he has not transferred this ratio to senior football. In 65 senior appearances in league and cup, Akpom has scored seven goals. A majority of those appearances were as a substitute it should be conceded, on-loan at Coventry City, Nottingham Forest and Hull City as well as Arsenal.
A lack of goals is a rather big problem for a striker, but Akpom showed some promise during his very brief forays into Arsenal first team football. He made three Premier League appearances from the bench in 2014/15, including a lively cameo in a 5-0 home win over Aston Villa in which he won a penalty. He showed the energy and eagerness that is customary with young players, but also an assured first touch and silky enough technique. Add that to the natural speed he possesses, and many would say he looked a ‘typical Arsenal’ product.
Akpom was loaned to Forest in that Spring; a clear indication that Wenger did not consider him ready for much more first-team football. Arsenal were flying during the second half of that season, yet too far behind Chelsea to be considered in the title race; this could have been the ideal environment to give Akpom some more minutes. It wasn’t to be, and with Akpom struggling to get into the Hull team last season there is little evidence to change Wenger’s mind.
In his few appearances for Arsenal, Akpom has certainly looked a closer fit to Arsenal’s style than Yaya Sanogo. Yet in 2014, the Frenchman started a Champions League knock-out game against Bayern Munich, a FA Cup quarter-final against Liverpool and went on to feature in the semi-final and final of that competition. Sanogo is still at the club and, if Wenger’s previous selections are anything to go by, he could be ahead of Akpom in the pecking order.
Arsenal will surely sign a striker in the window, and once Giroud and Sanchez return this point could become moot. The odds are stacked against Akpom when it comes to forging a career at the Emirates in the long-term. Nevertheless, un-fancied players are capable of shining brightly for a few games and surpassing their expected capabilities; Federico Macheda in 2008-9 for Manchester United and Christopher Wreh for Arsenal in 1997-98 are two examples. Perhaps Akpom can cement himself in folklore this August in a similar fashion.