Chuba Akpom.

Apparently Forest and ourselves tracking him for a loan move. Has a decent international record for under 17's, 19's and 20's, playing 32 games and scoring 14. Played just four times for Gunners, probably cup games. Edit, just found a Mirror article of two hours ago, saying he is joining us for the rest of the season.

 

Wow, that's got to be good news and let's hope it's true!!
Edit - just found the article

"Norwich City lead the chase to sign Arsenal striker Chuba Akpom on loan for the rest of the season.
The 19-year-old has played seven times for the Gunners so far this season, but hasn't featured since the FA Cup win against Middlesbrough last month.
Akpom recently committed his long-term future to the Emirates and boss Arsene Wenger is willing to leave him go out on loan to get some more first-team football under his belt.
Derby, Bournemouth, Ipswich and Forest are all keen but the Canaries are fancied to land the highly-rated hotshot.
Akpom came through the ranks at the Premier League club and has also spent time out on loan in League One with Brentford and Coventry City last season."


http://www.mirror.co.uk/sport/football/transfer-news/arsenal-striker-chuba-akpom-poised-5382819

 

Saw him play for Brentford and he didn't look all that, find it an odd one if Im honest, 7 games for someone who's never played at this level when we have 3 strikers all on double figures... Hopefully grabban not as bad as the message this sends

 

Fair point Billy, but I'm sure AN knows who he wants and also, if he comes here on loan, it means he can't go to one of our rivals!!!!

 

Strikers are hard to judge in other teams as they are so dependent on the style of play and the types of chances created.
We are missing the movement of Grabban keeping defences honest and having had Loza and Morris on the bench recently it's clear we need another striker.
And as has been said I'd rather we got him an he was a flop than a rival did and he was excellent.

 

Quite envious if this is true. Wenger has a lost of faith in the lad, In fact it is apparently the reason why Podolski and Sanogo have gone out on loan as Wenger trusts Akpom to deputise and considers him to be as good (and better in the case of Sanogo) than both.
I would imagine that with Giroud back in form, Wellbeck and Walcott in the wings Akpom won't get a look in again this term so would like to see him get some game time elsewhere. The pace he has will be deadly late on in a game and I would guess that your gaffer is ensuring that you don't go the way of Derby and lose a striker and lose all momentum

 

Good summary, KoPR, and whilst it seems a bit hard on Loza and Morris, it seems like a good move, especially if it means denying him to our rivals.

 

Judging by the scout video, he looks like a decent player. Not totally in the Grabban mould but would certainly stretch defences, pass/move well and hopefully score the odd goal or three. I'd hope he'd do better than a certain Mr Kane did!

 

Actually, having thought about it, we should let him go to Derby, as we have played them (and are above them in the league) and he could help them beat Watford and Brentford!!!

 

Unless he's a great signing and moves Derby above us, JR! This is all very complicated indeed!

 

No RER, we just have to win all our remaining games and we'll stay above them anyway!!!

 

Now why didn't I think of that? Simple really!

 

Any further developments with this? Have we signed him?

 

Nope. A few in for him. Looks like it will be the team that can offer him most first team action. Would that be us though?

Loan period ends Thursday afternoon so we'll soon know.

 

In that case Its likely to be Forest they're the ones playing a winger through the middle due to injuries. They are playing some of our rivals so that would be ok. Would be a nice impact player for us though.

 

My thoughts exactly and I feel he would get more game time at Forest or Derby,

 

Derby have bent back now and Ince looking good. To be honest I think he'd get roughly the same amount of football at each we need someone to replace the movement of Grabban and some proper pace up front to bring on later would be really effective.

 

It's looking very much like Forest now. Their NewsNow site is full of articles saying he's going there because of game time. Logical really.

 

I think, after coming to us, that is the best option from our POV with games against Wolves, Brentford, Watford and Ipswich