Aston Villa boss worked with Chuba Akpom at Hull last season.
Ross McCormack’s future at Aston Villa is in doubt after manager Steve Bruce questioned his fitness and attitude, after dropping him for the weekend’s match with Preston. (BBC)
Villa will be looking at potential replacement options with Jordan Rhodes one possibility, but one more cost efficient alternative would be for Bruce to dust off his contact book and speak to Arsenal about Chuba Akpom.
Akopm has been on the verge of Arsenal’s first team since 2014, but has been unable to take the next step up.
Arsenal’s Chuba Akpom celebrates scoring their third goal
He spent last season on loan in the Championship under Steve Bruce at Hull City, helping them to win promotion.
Akpom’s performances were inconsistent, netting only three league goals, but a FA Cup hat-trick against Bury showed what he is capable of.
While not the prolific campaign he may have wanted, Akpom’s season was a step up from previously unproductive spells out on loan.
Hull City’s Chuba Akpom shoots at goal
Akpom, 21, missed time between September and December with injury but is looking for a loan move, with The Star reporting Cardiff, Fulham and Brentford are all interested.
The Arsenal prospect has 18 goals at youth level for England, and has been prolific at under-21/23 level at Arsenal, netting 31 goals in 44 games.
The year under Bruce helped his development, and Villa could be shrewd to get him in on a loan deal, especially with their own youngster Rushian Hepburn-Murphy ruling himself out of contention by so far refusing to sign a new contract with the club.
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