Sunderland join Lens and Lille in race for Ajax star | OneFootball

Akpom is thought to be attracting interest from the Black Cats, as well as a couple of French teams.

Championship outfit Sunderland are targeting a move for Ajax striker Chuba Akpom.

This is according to Santi Aouna, who believes a return to the north east could be on the horizon for the forward, who did fairly well during his first season in the Netherlands, and has also been a decent asset for the Dutch outfit this term.

His success comes as no shock, considering how good he was for Middlesbrough during the 2022/23 campaign.

It took quite a bit of time for Akpom to thrive at the Riverside, but he exploded into life under Michael Carrick, and registered 28 goals in 38 league appearances during that season.

Scoring at an astonishing rate, he was able to garner interest from elsewhere. And with the player only having a year left on his contract in the summer of 2023, Boro decided to cash in on him, having failed to win the play-offs after their semi-final defeat against Coventry City.

Now doing well for Ajax, he is a wanted man again, with a few sides taking an interest in the Englishman during this window.

Sunderland among teams interested in Chuba Akpom

Enzo Le Fee is the club's only addition of the window so far - and the Black Cats may be keen to add more players to their squad before the deadline passes.

With Wilson Isidor only staying at the club until the end of the season as things stand, the forward area has become a talking point, and Regis Le Bris' side are believed to be interested in a move for Akpom.

The forward is also attracting interest from French top-tier sides Lille and Lens, according to Aouna.

A move to France may not scare him, considering he has played abroad before, but it's believed that the Black Cats are pushing to recruit the player.

It remains to be seen whether they will be able to come out on top in this race.

Chuba Akpom could be an excellent signing for Sunderland

Akpom showed his class in the 10 role with Boro, but he can also operate as a striker and thrive there.

This will give Le Bris multiple options if he arrives at the Stadium of Light, so the ex-Arsenal man could be a fairly exciting signing.

Having a decent amount of experience under his belt and arguably in the peak years of his career now, he would be a good signing at an important time for the Black Cats.

They are currently in the promotion mix and need another scorer to boost their chances of securing a top-six finish at the end of the season.