Report Claims Arsenal Striker Chuba Akpom Is Set to Sign for Greek Side PAOK

Arsenal forward Chuba Akpom is set to leave the club this summer, with Greek side PAOK close to completing a deal for the 22-year-old.

Arsenal correspondent Chris Wheatley tweeted the news that a deal was close, going on to clarify when asked that the move would be a permanent one rather than a loan.

Akpom has been at Arsenal as a youth player since 2002 but has only made 12 appearances for the senior side, spending the majority of his professional career on loan at the likes of Hull City and Brighton & Hove Albion.

The young forward has also been capped by England at under-21 level but has not made an international appearance since 2016, with his career appearing to stagnate somewhat in recent times.

Akpom's last Premier League appearance for Arsenal came more than three years ago and despite scoring six goals in 16 appearances last season on loan at Belgian First Division side Sint-Truiden, it would seem the striker is considered surplus to requirements at the Emirates.

Arsenal already have Alexandre Lacazette and Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang as their first-choice strikers, while the likes of Danny Welbeck and Alex Iwobi make Akpom's chances of breaking into the side even less likely at this point.

Though Wheatley did not give a fee for the deal with PAOK, Arsenal will be looking to recoup some funds after a busy summer of transfer activity for the club.

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Stephan Lichtsteiner joined on a free transfer but the signings of Lucas Torreira, Bernd Leno, Sokratis Papastathopoulos and Matteo Guendouzi represent a significant outlay by the Gunners as they aim to qualify for the Champions League next season.