After Arsene Wenger said he wasn’t going to send Chuba Akpom out on loan this season, the young striker says he feels he’s ready to make the step-up at Arsenal.
Having already outgrown youth level football, it’s all about the first team now and Akpom, having signed a new contract earlier this year, wants to make the breakthrough at Arsenal.
“I’ve been at Arsenal since I was six years old, so that’s a few years and I really want to stay here,” he told Arsenal Player.
“This season could be a big season for me and with a lot of hard work it could be a breakthrough season for me. The main thing is to stay here and I think the loans have helped me gain experience. I’m just getting better every time.
“It was a good team performance but it was even better to get a hat-trick. I’m just hoping I can carry on my form for the rest of the pre-season and take it into the season.
“You’ve got to give 100 per cent because you don’t get this chance often, so when you get it you have to make the most of it.
“Hopefully the boss has seen that I’ve been working hard in training, that I’ve been working hard on the pitch, and hopefully I can get more game time in the season.”
Meanwhile, it’s emerged that Arsenal’s new waxing specialist has expressed concerns over the lustrousness of Mikel Arteta.
“The goggles, they do nothing”, she cried.
I hope he gets a half against Everton. I know it’s just pre-season, blah-blah, etc. but it’d certainly be a more convincing test for him than the part-timers today. I really like Akpom and it’d be amazing if we managed to produce a top class striker out of this guy. It’d also mean that we’d have academy graduates making significant contributions in all areas of the pitch, which obviously means little as regards our chances of success but it’d be a great boon for the club nonetheless.
Arsenal put in a good performance today but to call the singapore national team part timers is a tad bit offensive even the quality isn’t from the top drawer.
He took those goals with Akplom
I’ll get my coat…
no need to slag them off as part-timers, they are all professional footballers in their own right. just because they are obviously not as good doesn’t mean they should be labelled as “part-timers”. a little bit of respect for the hosts please!
Calling them part timers is hardly “slagging them off”. Jesus.
While Singapore football standard isn’t exactly that high, these are really full time professional footballers that we are talking about.
I understand his analogy and where he is coming from. But this is still quite insulting at the very least.
How is it not when they are not actually part-timers?
And although I am a free-thinker, I believe Jesus/God has a lot more to worry about than this……
Yes, like what will he do with Sanogo :-/
The boss sees more of him than anyone, of course, so if he thinks he’s ready to stay, then ok, fine. But from what I’ve seen of him, I think he’d benefit from another loan. Besides, barring simultaneous injuries to Giroud, Walcott, Alexis, and Welbeck — ok, not so unlikely in Arsenal’s case, but bear with me — he’s not going to get much game time.
Sorry if this offended the Akpom love-in, as it clearly has. If you think Akpom will get playing time and be ready for first-team football this season, I’d love to hear your reasons. Cheers.
If we have a significant run in the league cup (more than two games)
If we’re comfortably ahead in a game he can come off the bench (like against Villa last season)
Isn’t the message we are being given is ‘we aren’t signing a new striker’?
And Arteta has signed (and Flamini has a year on his contract and is working hard), so we aren’t signing a DM?
So we are unlikely to sign anyone more this summer?
Who’s to say he couldn’t do a Harry Kane? Except better, as a gooner
here we call it an anelka
ZE GOGGLES! THEY DO NUZZING!
He really needs to work on his first touch…..he traps a ball and it goes further than I can kick it.
Thought his third goal was real nice.
He looks like a good player I hope he gets some chances this year.
His link up play particularly with jack I noticed was a bit off but that’ll come. He makes good runs and I like his pace
In his defence, it’s hard to have link-up play with Wilshere sometimes. He does like to release the ball at the very last minute. People may defend him, but he really does need to release the ball quicker. Id hate to play with him – how do you time your run? I am all for him being a ball carrier, but he needs to know when the time is right to do that – like Cazorla. Cazorla carries in tight situations sometimes, he also passes first time and instigates first time, I feel Jack could be this player. A season… Read more »
In reality, he’s nowhere near ready yet. A season’s loan will be good for him.
About Arteta though….
At the very least i would like to see more of him this upcoming season
me thinks, the lad ain’t ready yet. the lad needs him some more game time elsewhere.
Regardless of the opposition he scored a hatrick for the Arsenal – the stuff of dreams for all us fans. Fair play to the young lad
Sanogo is in the Giroud mould and you get the feeling Akpom’s more of a natural striker in terms of his finishing and movement. I hope at least one of them breaks in to a regular first team place in the near future.
Apparently Sherwood has nicked a fella off us called Hendrik Almstadt, who used to do scouting, analytics, finance, contracts, and youth development. Any ideas what we should do to him? I was thinking stitch some sleeves onto his gilets, then hold him down and have Mia Yaggi wax his face.
Would love to see Akpom break through, but realistically it has to be a PL loan at this point.
Strikers need continuity and he’s hardly going to get that in the Arsenal first team.
Let’s see what he can do at one of the PL’s lesser lights and hope he makes an impact.
This guy went on loan to different clubs yet Wenger feels it is best to keep him with the first team to receive some tutors. I didn’t understand why some people here still clamour for loan spell when as a matter of fact he hasn’t learn what it takes to excel in the PL while on loan. e.g balls control and link up play. some say no game time that is why we have the capital one cup and sum cameos wen we thrash some teams like 4:0.
p.s >>>Akpom is the highest goal scorer so far
No PL team will want to gamble on a young unproven striker to lead the line except one team which is Arsenal and the good news is that he staying in the PL with us.
I’m not a prophet, but I see a Henry in Akpom.
Always rated him more than Sanogo, hope he plays part this season
Look, he probably won’t be good enough. I’ve seen Jay Simpson, Aneke & Jay Emmanuel Thomas etc come up & you look at them & think “He might be the guy” but they weren’t, obviously this is just a forecast & I would love to be wrong but he’s just filling space as a part of the quota in the obligatory ‘prodigy’ striker role. A loan would be the best thing for him as an opportunity to prove himself, Bendtner went to the championship and did it for Brum & even he wasn’t there. I say we need a clinical… Read more »