The future of Akpom and the data with the attackers

In England, they are discussing the future of Chumba Akpom, who they believe will not be in Middlesbrough. Because he is not counted by the local people, even though his contract there expires in June 2023.

The 26-year-old forward saw PAOK with familiar surroundings and Razvan Lucescu on the bench last summer as an opportunity to right the mistake he made in his decision to return home to compete in the league.

Now, after a rather mediocre start to his second term at PAOK, he is Dikefalos’ main striker with nine goals and three assists in 34 games. However, no one can say for sure what will happen in the summer.

The agreement to his loan from ‘Boro’ includes a clause to purchase his rights, which he says is €3m, the sum the Brits paid for his acquisition in September 2020.

No decision was made to activate the Akpom Clause. And, as everything shows, PAOK is unlikely to make such a move. Because since the English have shown that they do not include the 26-year-old striker in their plans and have already “closed” the positions of their attackers, they cannot make particularly high demands on his concession.

Forward the data with the PAOK

In any case, the issue of forks at PAOK remains complicated even after Carol Swinderski’s move to Charlotte.

Nelson Oliveira’s return from injury will be crucial. The Portuguese, who is expected to train with his team-mates next month, was Razvan Lucescu’s first choice from the start. It was his serious injury that forced the PAOK people to bring Tsouba Akpom back to Toumba.

With Oliveira active and Tsolak staying in Thessaloniki, Dikefalos will end this season with three experienced strikers and youngster Giorgos Koutsias playing with PAOK B’.

Jose Boto and Razvan Lucescu will have to decide how they will move in the summer and which of the forwards they already have in the squad will be based on. An important role in their decisions will be played by Antonio Tsolak, who attracted interest from other teams with his appearances in Malm, on loan but ultimately stayed in the Dikefalos squad.

The sports director of PAOK referred to the Croatians in the press conference he recently quoted and stressed that he believed he could help his team. “I saw something in him,” said the Portuguese.

For now, however, Tsolak has not “challenged” Akpom’s primacy at the top of the bicep attack in practice. So the Englishman remains a key player while also fighting for a new contract.