Winners and losers in Chuba Akpom to Birmingham City loan from Ajax as Middlesbrough miss out

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Former Middlesbrough forward Chuba Akpom is poised to join Birmingham City after Middlesbrough’s pursuit to hijack the move failed.

With the 2025/26 Championship campaign fast approaching, both Birmingham City and Middlesbrough have enjoyed very different fortunes in the summer transfer window.

Birmingham have signed several high-profile stars, including Tommy Doyle and Kyogo Furuhashi, on the back of the Blues’ record-breaking League One title win, cementing themselves as Premier League promotion contenders.

Boro, however, took several weeks to welcome the first signings of the Rob Edwards era before Middlesbrough signed Alfie Jones from Hull City, with Abdoulaye Kante following as the second arrival.

Birmingham and Middlesbrough were in for Chuba Akpom, but the Blues have now won the race. Now, EFL Analysis outlines the winners and losers in the imminent loan move.

• READ MORE: Chris Davies on the non-negotiable signing Birmingham City had to make to ‘push the team on’

Winners as Birmingham City to sign Chuba Akpom on loan from Ajax

Birmingham City and Chris Davies

Birmingham targeted Akpom after Rangers beat the Blues to sign in-demand Finnish talent Oliver Antman, and the Blues will be elated by the Akpom move, given his pedigree in English football.

Sky Sports report that: “Birmingham have agreed a season-long loan deal, with an obligation to buy for £7m if they are promoted to the Premier League this season.”

The former Boro forward scored 29 goals and registered two assists in the 2022/23 Championship campaign before his move to Dutch giants Ajax the following summer.

After Alfie May left Birmingham for Huddersfield Town, Blues boss Chris Davies needed reinforcements in the attack, and he’d be hard-pressed to find a better option than the former Arsenal prospect.

Chuba Akpom

Aside from Birmingham and Davies, Akpom himself has come out victorious in the transfer saga involving his former club, Middlesbrough.

The 29-year-old’s form and game time dipped last season, seeing him loaned out to Lille in February for the second half of the season after scoring just three Eredivisie goals.

Akpom’s desire to return to English football has been well-documented, following his links with a move to eventual Championship play-off final winners Sunderland before he joined Lille.

Given the stellar summer signings and financial backing from their ambitious American owners, Tom Wagner and Tom Brady, Birmingham are one of the most attractive projects in the Championship currently.

Akpom will be desperate to end Birmingham’s top flight absence and become a permanent Blues player in the Premier League, come the end of the season.

• READ MORE: Talks on after Birmingham City offered chance to sign £1.7m ace ‘similar to Luka Modric’

Losers from Chuba Akpom to Birmingham City on loan include Middlesbrough

Middlesbrough and Rob Edwards

Boro and manager Edwards are the obvious losers in the Akpom to Birmingham move after missing out on re-signing him.

Akpom scored 34 goals in 82 games for Middlesbrough and would’ve been just the type of statement signing Boro owner Steve Gibson needs to make this summer.

Middlesbrough fans would have been delighted to see 13-goal striker Tommy Conway link up with Akpom next season, but have been left reeling by the move which sees a former fan favourite strengthen a direct rival.

Birmingham’s Championship promotion rivals

The Blues have made several statement signings this summer, and the Akpom deal is another that will send fear down the spines of all second tier defences ahead of next season.

Several Championship sides will be heading into the 2025/26 Championship campaign with promotion in their crosshairs, with fellow League One promotion winners Wrexham strengthening their prospects with their summer business.

However, with Birmingham signing such a high-calibre forward with an impressive European pedigree, their fellow top-six hopefuls will be fearing facing off against the Blues even more next term.