I’d be daft not to give Chuba a chance
AKPOM STILL VERY MUCH PART OF THE GROUP - WILDER
CHRIS Wilder says “he’d be daft” not to give Chuba Akpom a chance to save his Middlesbrough career.
The former Arsenal striker looked destined to leave Teesside this summer after he was deemed surplus to requirements last year and spent the season on loan at PAOK in Greece.
If any offers are tabled for Akpom this summer they will be considered but as things stand Boro have not received any bids. While Akpom remains at the club, he will have the chance to prove himself to boss Wilder.
Wilder has been impressed with Akpom on the Rockliffe training pitches in the last 10 days or so and the striker will be in the squad for the opening weekend clash against West Brom this evening.
The Boro boss said yesterday: “He’s been good so he will be involved tomorrow.
“He is part of the group and no bids have come in for him so I’d be daft, especially with the situation we are in, not to involve him.
“We’ve added Marcus Forss to that and he needs to be integrated into the group but that isn’t going to happen in 24 hours, so I’d be daft not to keep Chuba and keep him involved.”
Wilder says it is now ultimately up to Akpom to decide what his future holds.
He added: “His future is decided by his attitude, not me.
“He is a talented football player but it is down to him whether he can fit in with the group, whether he wants to do the work we want him to do and is he good enough?
“His CV suggests he’s good enough. He has possibly had too many clubs but sometimes the penny drops so we’ll wait and see.
“He won’t be the first player we’ve dragged back from the wilderness who ends up staying and he won’t the last. We’ll see how that goes.
“There are all different characters and personalities in that changing room but if he does the business for us I’m not bothered if he is somebody else’s signing.
“Marcus
Tavernier wasn’t my signing but arguably he was one of our best and influential players.
“Chuba’s part of the group.
“Over to him and if there is an opportunity hopefully he will take that for his sake. Why would he not want i t here?