Birmingham City and Ipswich Town were involved in a transfer saga for the signature of Chuba Akpom from Ajax this summer.
The striker would end up signing for Ipswich Town over Birmingham City after holding talks with both clubs before making a final decision.
Ipswich seemed pleased to have completed the signing of Akpom from Ajax this summer, as they needed to replace Liam Delap, who had opted to join Chelsea this summer for a £30 million fee.
Akpom has now shed light on why he decided to join Ipswich Town over Birmingham City this summer and how the discussions were conducted with both clubs in an interview ahead of the Tractor Boys’ Championship fixture with Blackburn Rovers.
Chuba Akpom believes Ipswich Town are in a better place to gain promotion
Speaking to the East Anglian Daily Times, Chuba Akpom has finally revealed why he made the decision to join Ipswich Town over Birmingham City.
He said: “Look, it’s no secret; there have been so many leaks, I was close to joining Birmingham.
“I had some interest from the Premier League and other top divisions, but once I decided that I wanted to come back to the Champ, I always had my mind set on Ipswich. I was 100% certain that if they wanted me, then I’d go there.
“The main reason is that I felt the environment would just be perfect for me at Ipswich. The style of play, the players, what the gaffer wants me to do. I think the way that the team is set up really suits me, and I think I’ll really thrive this season once I get going.
“They (Carrick and McKenna) have similar ways of playing and generally are two top people that you can have a conversation with.
“The main factor for me is learning. I’m 29, but as I get older, I feel like I’m learning more and more. When I was with Michael Carrick, he taught me so much. With the gaffer here, I’m picking up small bits already. I just want to improve as much as I can.”
Chuba Akpom addresses his tough period at Ajax
Life was not always straightforward for Akpom after his €12.3 million move from Middlesbrough, after his 28-goal campaign for the Championship squad.
He opened up about being part of the ‘bomb squad’ while at Ajax, with this likely contributing to his move back to England.
Akpom said: “You know how football gets. There’s a lot of politics.
“At Ajax, I was part of the ‘bomb squad’, as they say. There were seven or eight of us just pushed to the side and made to train by ourselves.”
This left Akpom slightly behind his Ipswich teammates in terms of sharpness, but he is confident he can quickly get up to speed for the upcoming campaign, as the Tractor Boys look to secure promotion back to the Premier League.
