Brendan Rodgers would face huge challenge making Chuba Akpom a Celtic success

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Chuba Akpom has struggled for goals throughout his fledging career but could a shock move to Celtic change all that?

There are few better managers in the British game than Brendan Rodgers when it comes to helping young players realise their potential.

In just over a year at Celtic, Rodgers has already helped the likes of Kieran Tierney, Stuart Armstrong and Moussa Dembele raise their game to entirely new levels while Patrick Roberts returned to Manchester City after a loan spell in Glasgow a far more efficient and dynamic player.

Therefore, Chuba Akpom should surely be tempted by the prospect of moving north of the border this summer. The Mirror claims that the 21-year-old wants to leave Arsenal on a permanent basis due to a lack of first-team opportunities and Celtic are battling Leeds United for his signature.

The England Under-21 international has been highly regarded within the walls of The Emirates since emerging through Arsenal’s academy though it’s fair to say he is yet to justify the early heightened expectations.

Since the beginning of 2013/14, Akpom has been sent out on loan to Brentford, Coventry, Nottingham Forest, Hull City and Brighton. He scored for only one of those clubs, hitting just seven in 42 games for The Tigers.

One in ten

In total, Akpom has just seven goals in 79 games across a senior career that is yet to ignite. Strong as an ox and blessed with agility, Akpom has the basic skill set of a promising striker but he is yet to demonstrate the goalscoring instinct required to succeed at a high level.

Therefore, Celtic manager Rodgers may face one of his toughest challenges yet coaxing that potential out of a player who, while still very young, has shown very few signs of star quality.

The Celtic boss has made clear that a new striker is on the agenda with Leigh Griffiths and Dembele both struggling with injury. Rodgers’ tutelage could be the making of Akpom but, on the basis of previous evidence, that may appear to be wishful thinking.