Neil Warnock in bizarre rant about ex-Arsenal star as he labels £12.2m transfer a ‘bloody miracle’
NEIL WARNOCK has warned Chuba Akpom he’ll be back in English football “next year” if his new club Ajax decide to play him as a striker.
Warnock, 74, watched his Huddersfield side draw 1-1 with Akpom’s former team Middlesbrough at the Riverside Stadium on Saturday.
Akpom, 27, who came through Arsenal‘s academy and played 12 times for the Gunners’ first team, penned a five-year deal with Ajax last week as Boro accepted a £12.2million offer.
He contributed 29 goals in 42 games as a No10 for Michael Carrick‘s side in the 2022/23 campaign as they earned a play-off place, before they were beaten by Coventry.
And that sensational season has seen him secure a switch to the Dutch giants.
However, Warnock, who coached Akpom for a little over 12 months in the North East, does not feel he has the capabilities to be used as a striker.
And he warned Ajax against pushing him higher up the pitch in a bizarre, unprovoked rant as he labelled the transfer fee a “bloody miracle”.
He said: “Good luck to him. I like Michael, I think he’s done a good job. To get £12.2million for Chuba [Akpom] is a bloody miracle. So well done to him.
“I think the people at the top will be happy anyhow to get that sort of money in. I think we played quite well against them last year but you can see they’re trying.
“They’ve signed two players this week for decent money and Michael is a good bloke. There’s only Michael who would’ve got that out of Chuba Akpom.
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“I never thought about playing him in the hole. He can’t play up front.
“I hope Ajax haven’t bought him to play up front because he’ll be back in England or somewhere else next year.”
Akpom left Arsenal five years ago to join Greek club PAOK.
He returned to England in 2020 as Boro brought him in for £2.75m.
And he registered just five goals in 40 games during his first 12 months with the Championship side.
But a season back with PAOK – which saw him net 11 times in 52 matches – re-energised his career.
And he returned to enjoy his best ever season, scoring 28 league goals and one against Brighton in the FA Cup.
He could make his Ajax debut in their Europa League play-off against Ludogorets on Thursday.
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