In a recent report, The Daily Mail mentioned that Everton are set to rival Crystal Palace for Middlesbrough forward Chuba Akpom. It has been claimed that the Toffees are eyeing a move for the English striker as they are in dire need to add more firepower to their attack.
Akpom’s Decent Numbers In English Football This Season
Akpom is having a fine campaign in the EFL Championship as he has put in a string of productive displays as the focal point of Middesbrough’s attack. The 27-year-old has banged in 13 goals and earned one assist in 20 matches for the English outfit this season across various competitions.
The London-born talent has proven himself to be a good performer in the final third based on his average of 2.8 shots, 0.5 key passes and 0.4 dribbles per 90 minutes in the English Championship. He has even been excellent when distributing possession from the back, based on his pass completion rate of 77.5% in the second tier of English football (stats via whoscored).
His current contract at the Riverside Stadium is set to expire at the end of this campaign. Therefore, the Toffees could potentially sign him on a cut-price deal this January.
Should Everton Move In For Akpom This Month?
Akpom can create space for himself to get a few shots in at goal and can be a decent finisher in the final third when he is playing with confidence up top. He can even create the odd chance for his teammates but needs to be a bit intelligent with his movements in and around the opposition penalty box. Standing at 1.86m, he can even use his strong frame to hold possession up for his team.
We can expect Akpom to inject more firepower into Everton‘s attacking department at Goodison Park. He would also add more competition for Dominic Calvert-Lewin at the Merseyside club in the coming seasons.
At the moment, Akpom is playing some of his best football at the Riverside Stadium this season. Thus, Everton should think about moving in for the English talent before the end of this winter transfer window.
At 27, Akpom is about to enter his prime and could be a decent option for the Toffees to call upon off the bench. However, it remains to be seen whether he can maintain his good form in the Premier League where he might struggle to cope with the physicality and high intensity of regular first-team football.
