Arsenal: Chuba Akpom Needs Baptism By Fire

Arsenal may be steering away from signing a striker at all this summer, meaning that it will fall on Chuba Akpom and Walcott. So it will fall on Chuba Akpom.

Reports are coming in from various sources that Arsene Wenger is a bit disenchanted with the idea of overspending on a striker that doesn’t fit in exactly the way he wants. Wenger is very particular over who he signs and it’s hard to blame him if he doesn’t want to spend just to spend. Arsenal has never benefited from something like that.

According to some sources on Twitter (see below) the responsibility will fall to either Chuba Akpom or Theo Walcott. So, it will fall to Chuba Akpom. Because the opportunity for Walcott has to have passed.

Talk about a baptism by fire.

However, while we are on the topic of things Arsene Wenger does not like to do, throwing young players into the flames like he would have to do with Akpom ranks pretty high on that list. He didn’t even play Mohamed Elneny for about a month after he signed him. You know, that whole ‘he had to learn how tough life in England was’.

In the case of Chuba Akpom, however, a baptism by fire is an incredibly wise solution. We don’t really know where Akpom sits in his progression. After shooting through the ranks, he has seemingly stalled at the current juncture, at the age of 20 (soon to be 21). The loan at Hull City did not go very well in any sense. One hat trick could not overshadow how underwhelming he was.

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Even with manager Steve Bruce giving the Arsenal man every opportunity in the world, the goals just didn’t come. He wasn’t necessarily bad, but he didn’t score. If Tony Pulis would have been his manager, he would have been give 13 minutes.

By that standard, hearing that he is going to start on opening day may be a tad worrisome, but we have to think back. A year ago, when Akpom started making his cameos for Arsenal, he didn’t look bad. If I were to make a comparison, I’d say he looked like Iwobi when the Nigerian first came into the first-team picture. There was a heavy first touch and some obvious nerves, but it gradually ironed out. Now he is Arsenal’s first choice to start opposite Alexis.

There is a reason why Wenger did not want Akpom to go out on loan last season and I think we all know why. He was supposed to be in the first team picture by the end of the year, going into this year. At the age of 21, he should be showing visible signs of progression and in order for us to see that, he needs to be put in the first team. Just like Iwobi.

(Photo by Mike Hewitt/Getty Images) /

We now have that opportunity. With Welbeck out and Giroud not returning until August 1st, that leaves Akpom and Walcott. We all know that Walcott is not going to succeed at striker. He had his chance. Throw Akpom into the fire and see if he sinks or swims (that doesn’t really make sense…). If he does, wonderful, we have our solution, it is internal and it wasn’t £43m. If he doesn’t, well, now we know. And, it will be in August, when the transfer window is still open.