Chuba Akpom – The Next English Star?
Next up in my series is the 17-year-old Chuba Akpom who has impressed the club coaches and fans ever since his debut for the U21 team at the start of last season. The player didn’t just make his debut, he made an impression. Akpom scored 13 goals in 20 games for Arsenal U21’s excluding the handful he scored for the Youth Cup and Next Gen Series teams.
The player is a striker so naturally you would want me to say how wonderful he is at finishing, he is don’t worry, but I want to start with his contribution to the team in the build up play. From (1:56 in the video below) to about 2:22 is just a bitesize version of what he can add to a team. He’s a big, strong and powerful player that can intimidate the opposition which is very beneficial for some strikers.
Throughout the video we are treated to glimpses of the vast array of skills he has in him. If you watch him play often you will see that he is not afraid to showcase the skills he possesses.
Now on to his finishing abilities, which is what all you want to sing his praises about. Believe me, I will. You don’t score over 13 goals in a season and still be called bad at finishing especially as he’s technically playing a couple of years above his age group (If you include his first team performances). Despite his overall willingness to contribute to the team, you can see in the video that he often pops up in the box to tap home ‘keeper mistakes or crosses. In a way that is exactly what you want in a striker because he contributes in the build up and also in the finishing.
He’s a gifted player that could become the perfect striker for Arsenal, but obviously anything can happen so Arsenal’s fans must enjoy the fact that they have one of England’s most promising individuals in their academy.
Enjoy the video.
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