The Arsenal youngster Chuba Akpom has been given a big chance to kickstart his future Arsenal career this week. Not only did he win (and score) the equalizing penalty for the England U20 side against Mexico, but it has now been revealed that he will be joining the Championship high-flyers Nottingham Forest for the rest of the season.
Akpom signed a new long-term contract with Arsenal last month, but with the Gunners needing all their experienced players in the race for the Premiership title, the 19 year old is being given the opportunity to prove his goalscoring prowess in the lower League.
The official Arsenal website revealed the news last night. They reported: “Chuba Akpom has joined Nottingham Forest on loan until the end of the season.
The 19-year-old forward has made seven substitute appearances for Arsenal this season, winning a penalty in the 5-0 victory over Aston Villa at the start of February following an impressive performance in Arsenal’s FA Cup fourth-round tie against Brighton and Hove Albion the week before.
Akpom is part of Aidy Boothroyd’s England Under-20s squad and scored a well-deserved equaliser in their penalty shootout victory over Mexico on March 25.
The striker, who signed a new long-term contract with Arsenal in February, made his debut for Arsenal Under-18s at the age of 15 and has been an integral part of the youth set-up ever since. The young forward is joining the Championship side to gain further first team experience.
Everyone at Arsenal wishes Chuba well for his time with Nottingham Forest.”
Akpom has looked very lively when given his chances at Arsenal, so we are all hoping that he can mesmerize the Championship defences in the next couple of months and maybe fire Forest into the Play-Offs. Akpom himself is very happy with this opportunity. He tweeted: “Delighted to have joined @Official_NFFC on loan. Can’t wait to get started and meet up with the squad after the internationals.”
If he continues showing his confidence to get into scoring positions he will have a great time at the City Ground, and by the end of the season we could be cheering on our newest deadly hitman, and everyone will be saying Lucky Lucky Forest!
I will certainly be watching him when I can….
I really really…. really hope he becomes a better player than H Kane. He has the speed and agility in his favor but Kane is one of those players who senses where to be and right time. Id love if Wrighty could work with him and hope hes listening to Henry.
I still think wenger is not giving our youth strikers more opportunity, I think benik afobe actually deserved d chance he wasn’t given and I believe he is a beta target man than both welbeck and sanogo, afobe is a natural finisher, uses both feet and also hard working. He sud ve been an understudy to giroud.
Its worth knowing that harry kane’s loan moves since 2012 hasn’t been eventful, he was not atol spctacular and u can c him wen he was given the chance.
We can’t judge totally based on loan move, le coq is anoda good example. Our last academy product frontman is bendtner, though not a world beater is actually better than dose we ve now order than giroud,
I hope he manages akpom better sha, he’s actually a promising striker though not as promising as afobe.
His time will come. He’s not up to 20 anyway. What he needs is games and goals and he’ll be good.
Chuba & Benik Afobe were two players I thought were good in our youth teams…As they got older it seemed that Chuba was preferred to Afobe and so Afobe was sold. Therefore I feel they must think that Chuba has more potential than Benik. Benik I ‘think’ has scored more goals this year than any other English player..( well a lot anyway if not the most) so i am hoping tat Chuba will be even better when he finally gets his chance to get on the pitch regularly at a club. I truly hope so and wish him all the best. I hope he gets his chance to see what he can do, and grabs that chance with both hands
Sell, we need Falcau from Man U