In difficulty at Ajax and eager to relaunch in Ligue 1, should Chuba Akpom (29 years old) be RC Lens' priority this winter to strengthen a very weakened sector? This is the debate between our journalists William Tertrin and Laurent Hess.
“Yes, it’s a good opportunity”
“As many people know, Chuba Akpom was supposed to become a worthy replacement for Loïs Openda. In August 2023, a total agreement was reached with Middlesbrough for a transfer of 11 million euros, plus 2 bonuses, but the RCL withdrew from the file given that the player's representatives had held discussions with Ajax. Lens therefore did not want to enter into the bidding war.
This is an issue that is being debated in the Lens community, but I think that in the situation Lens finds itself in, every attacker is worth taking. Resentment must be put aside to favor the athlete, because the Englishman would compete in a sector of the game where the RCL is cursed. His stats this season are not catastrophic, with 7 goals scored in 27 matches. For me, Lens no longer has a choice and must rush into each profile likely to bring added value to its attack.”
William TERTRIN
“Not sure this is the right profile”
“The RCL has been following Akpom for a long time and it’s true that the English striker has strengths. We're still talking about a guy who was capable of scoring 29 goals in a season two years ago with Middlesbrough, in the Championship, a very difficult championship. Since joining Ajax, Akpom has been less prolific but he should not have lost his qualities overnight. Mikautadze also experienced difficulties in Amsterdam.
Akpom is a player to relaunch but is this the right profile for the Sang et Or? Is he not in the same register as Nzola? In any case, it's an axial, and in the axis, I find that Nzola really does the job. I really like his style, his power, his contribution to the game. In my opinion, what is missing is a “second striker” capable of taking the depth, Nzola being more in a pivot register. The ideal is to associate him with a space devourer, a player with the Aubameyang profile, also capable of playing on a wing. In truth, I don't know if Akpom has this profile, but if he meets these criteria, I say banco too! »
Laurent HESS
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