adminDONE DEAL L; Ipswich Town AFC now completed the signing of Ajax forward despite interest from Birmingham, Middlesbrough and Olympiakos bringing the saga over the forward’s future to a conclusion.
Ipswich Town Seal Loan Move for Chuba Akpom from Ajax
Ipswich Town have secured the loan signing of forward Chuba Akpom from Dutch side Ajax for the 2025/26 season.
The 29-year-old returns to the Championship, where he last starred for Middlesbrough in the 2022/23 campaign, scoring an impressive 28 goals. Now, he’ll aim to power Kieran McKenna’s side back to the Premier League.
According to the East Anglian Daily Times and Ipswich Star, the deal includes an obligation to buy Akpom—believed to be around £7 million—if Town earn promotion.
Birmingham City had also been pushing to land Akpom ahead of their Championship opener at St. Andrew’s, but Ipswich swooped in to secure his signature.
“I was buzzing when I heard about the interest,” Akpom told TownTV. “Ipswich are a club with big ambitions and I’m really happy to be here. I’ve watched them a lot and felt my style would fit perfectly.”
Reflecting on his development, he added: “My time at Ajax and playing Champions League football with Lille has really helped me grow, both as a player and a person. I’m here to contribute however I can, bring a winning mindset, and help the team succeed.”
Ajax’s technical director, Alex Kroes, praised Akpom’s attitude: “Chuba is a model professional and a hard worker. This loan gives him the chance to play regularly and help Ipswich in their push for promotion. We’ll be following his progress closely and wish him all the best.”
Akpom began his career at Arsenal and had loan spells at Brentford, Coventry, Hull City, Brighton, and Belgian outfit Sint-Truiden. He then joined PAOK Salonika in Greece, where he scored 14 goals in two seasons before moving to Middlesbrough in 2020. After a standout season at Boro, he made the switch to Ajax, scoring 23 goals in 71 appearances. Last season, he featured in Ligue 1 and the Champions League while on loan at Lille.
He becomes Ipswich’s sixth summer addition and could make his debut in the Carabao Cup against Bromley on Tuesday.
Ipswich Town – Summer 2025 Transfer Business
Signings:
- David Button (Reading, free)
- Azor Matusiwa (Rennes, £7.8m)
- Cedric Kipre (Reims, loan)
- Ashley Young (Everton, free)
- Jens Cajuste (Napoli, loan)
- Chuba Akpom (Ajax, loan)
Returned from Loan:
- Cameron Humphreys (Wycombe)
- Ali Al-Hamadi (Stoke)
- Harry Clarke (Sheffield United)
- Elkan Baggott (Blackpool)
Departures:
- Sold: Liam Delap (Chelsea, £30m release clause), Sam Morsy (Kuwait SC, free)
- Free Transfers: Axel Tuanzebe (Burnley), Cameron Burgess (Swansea)
- Released: Massimo Luongo (joined Millwall), Marcus Harness (joined Huddersfield)
- Loan Deals Ended: Kalvin Phillips (Man City), Julio Enciso (Brighton), Ben Godfrey (Atalanta)
Current Ipswich Town Squad (Senior Players: 29 – max 25 can be registered)
Goalkeepers: Palmer, Walton, Button, Muric
Right-backs: Young, Johnson, H. Clarke*
Centre-backs: O’Shea, Greaves, Woolfenden, Kipre, Baggott
Left-backs: Davis, Townsend*
Central Midfielders: Matusiwa, Cajuste, Taylor, Humphreys
Right Wingers: Hutchinson, Ogbene, Burns*
Attacking Midfielders (No.10): Szmodics, Chaplin
Left Wingers: J. Clarke, Philogene, Broadhead
Strikers: Hirst, Akpom, Al-Hamadi
* Indicates player with medium/long-term injury
Godwin Obaje
