Middlesbrough hit the jackpot with £2.75m striker, he made the club millions: View | OneFootball

Over the years, Championship clubs have squandered sizeable amounts of money on mediocre players. Conversely, however, they have often unearthed gems for a bargain fee, which have then been sold as a profit.

In terms of sheer value for money, few players have delivered as handsomely on a limited investment as Chuba Akpom did for Middlesbrough.

The former Arsenal academy graduate was named Championship Player of the Year in 2023 as Middlesbrough finished fourth in the table but missed out on promotion to the Premier League after losing 1-0 on aggregate against Coventry in the play-off semi-final.

Akpom plundered in 29 goals in 42 appearances in all competitions for Boro, earning himself a glamorous move to Ajax in a deal worth up to £12.2m.

His transformation from fringe player to the Championship's top scorer two seasons ago was as irresistible as it was unexpected.

A £2.75m signing from Greek outfit PAOK in the summer of 2020, Akpom scored twice in his first two games for Boro, but only another three goals followed in his next 36 games in the Championship, and he was loaned back to PAOK at the end of his first season on Teesside.

Eleven goals in 52 appearances in all competitions on his return to Greece proved a relative improvement, but there was little to suggest Akpom would become the prolific striker Boro craved.

How Michael Carrick resurrected Chuba Akpom's career at Boro

However, with a lack of attacking options at Chris Wilder's disposal, Akpom started two of Middlesbrough's first three league games of the season, scoring twice in the latter - a 2-2 draw at home against Sheffield United.

But the ink was barely dry on Akpom's redemption tale when an injury ruled him out for a month, before he scored twice in his next six appearances.

It was the hiring of Michael Carrick in October 2023 though that saw Akpom become central to Boro's promotion push.

The former England international replaced Wilder in the home dugout at the Riverside and immediately got the best out of Akpom, who didn't find the next on Carrick's debut but scored in the next four consecutive games.

Overall, in 31 games under the former Manchester United midfielder, Akpom bagged 24 goals in the Championship and praised Carrick for rescuing his career.

"I think he's the manager I've been dreaming of my whole career," he told Sky Sports in April last year.

"Honestly, he is a pleasure to work with. [...] I want to fight for the manager, as he has put so much trust and confidence in me and I really appreciate it. [...]

"Immediately, when he came in, he put me in the No.10 role and just gave me the license to roam around. If you see me on the pitch, I am just roaming from right to left, and he has given me that freedom to go out there and express myself.

"I appreciate that so much."

Why Boro had to sell Chuba Akpom to Ajax

Akpom's stunning season ended in disappointment as he failed to register in either leg of the semi-final against Coventry, with Boro kept scoreless in both encounters.

That did not dissuade Ajax from signing him, but the 28-year-old failed to replicate his ebullient form in his first debut season with the three-time European Cup winners.

The 28-year-old scored 15 goals in 36 appearances for the Amsterdammers last term, but has failed to nail down a starting spot and in February Dutch outlet Algemeen Dagblad, as per FootballTransfers, suggested he could be sold in the summer, with a return to England mooted as a possibility.

While Akpom's future remains uncertain, there are no doubts about his impact at Boro. He helped drive a promotion push and, almost as significantly, allowed Middlesbrough to turn a profit on him.

Boro get by on player trading, and coupled with the sale of Djed Spence for £12.5m to Spurs, the sale of Akpom allowed Michael Carrick to strengthen a number of positions, with Emmanuel Latte Lath, Seny Dieng, Lukas Engel and Morgan Rogers among the players who arrived at the Riverside Stadium for fees last summer.