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ENGLISH Premier League side Nottingham Forest have stepped up the pursuit of Nigeria-eligible striker and former Arsenal's Hale End Academy product Chuba Akpom with a view to signing him before the start of the forthcoming 2024/25 season.
Akpom, 28, spent a portion of the 2014/15 season at Nottingham Forest, the two-time former European champions, on loan from his then parent club Arsenal. Now, the club is working on a deal to bring the striker, who is currently on the books of Ajax of Amsterdam, back, during the current summer transfer window.
During the last January transfer window, Ajax blocked his potential return to the City Ground but Forest are hoping that the club will be a little for forthcoming this time around. Forest escaped relegation by the skin of their teeth last season, having finished six points adrift of the relegation zone and as result want to bolster their squad with the injection of more quality players.
Already, Forest have already signed Elliot Anderson from Newcastle United, Marko Stamenic, Carlos Miguel and Eric da Silva Moreira from Red Star Belgrade, Corinthians and FC St Pauli respectively and now want to add Akpom to the list of their summer acquisitions. With former Liverpool star Divock Origi returning to AC Milan after the expiration of his loan spell and Taiwo Awoniyi's consistent fitness issues, it is not surprising to see head coach Nuno Espírito Santo interested in bolstering his attacking options.
It is believed that Akpom is keen on a move away from Ajax due to a lack of first team opportunities, having made only 11 starts from a possible 43 in all competitions last season. He will be hoping for more playing time at the City Ground as Akpom only made seven appearances for Nottingham Forest in his spell with the club nine years ago.
Akpom, who came through the Arsenal youth ranks, is eligible to play for the Super Eagles as he holds dual-nationality and has not represented England at senior level. In March 2017, he trained with the Nigeria senior side at Barnet alongside then Chelsea defender Ola Aina and now hopes to line up with his life-long friend Alex Iwobi for the Eagles.
Although he has represented England 40 times at youth levels Akpom said he is now fully committed to Nigeria despite initially snubbing overtures from the Nigeria Football Federation ( NFF) to switch allegiance to the Nigerian team. In an interview with BBC Sport in 2019, Akpom said he is Nigerian and his whole family feel very Nigerian and it will be nice to represent Nigeria.