Chuba Akpom Departs Arsenal as Emery Continues to Shape Squad Ahead of Upcoming Season

There's been another transfer in the Unai Emery era at Arsenal - but this time it's a less than exciting one for Arsenal fans, as forward Chuba Akpom has completed a permanent move to PAOK, for a fee thought to be around £2m.

Akpom had been widely linked with a move away - with Belgian side Sint-Truiden thought to be favourites for his signature after he spent the second half of last season on loan there - but it's the Greek side who have won the race, signing the Arsenal youth academy graduate on a three year deal.

Despite being considered one of Arsene Wenger's hottest prospects when given his first team debut in the 2014/15 season, Akpom had fallen down the pecking order after several underwhelming loan spells away, with his first team involvement seeming to dwindle year after year.

And as such, it will have come as no great surprise to those of an Arsenal persuasion when the club's official twitter confirmed today that he had departed on a permanent basis.

At 22 years old, Akpom's permanent move comes off the back of a remarkable sixth loan spell away from the club, scoring six goals in 16 appearances in Belgium after appearing just twice, both times as a substitute, for Arsenal in the first half of the campaign.

The loan move followed spells with Brentford, Coventry, Nottingham Forest, Hull City and Brighton - but his collective strike rate of three goals in 63 appearances throughout these spells failed to curry favour in the Arsenal ranks. 

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His 33 goals in 50 appearances for the club's Under-23 side is undoubtedly impressive - but not impressive enough, evidently, to convince new boss Unai Emery of his capabilities as a first team player going forward, as he now departs permanently to try his hand in Greece.