Arsenal: Norwich City is Chuba Akpom’s last chance

There are players on the Arsenal roster that are simply not good enough. Chuba Akpom may be one of them, but he has one more chance to salvage his Gunner career.

While watching Arsenal do battle with Red Star Belgrade, I couldn’t help but think that they had a lot of deadwood. Players who are simply not good enough. The bench for that game was incredibly young, but there was one name amongst the substitutes that stood out to me. Chuba Akpom.

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As of this moment, Reiss Nelson is the crown jewel of the club’s academy. Chuba Akpom was once that jewel. Cameo appearances and success at youth level had fans excited, but like most academy prospects, Akpom has failed to live up to expectations.

Poor loan spells have seemingly been his undoing. Bar Hull City, he has not had much success anywhere. The Gunners have also had solid depth at the striker position in recent years, so Akpom’s chances at the Emirates have been non-existent.

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During the FIFA 18 launch in London, Akpom revealed that he was close to leaving the club on loan during the summer. I would not have been opposed to a permanent departure. I would love for Akpom to find success with the Gunners, but this is a business and Akpom hasn’t done anything of note for a long time.

This Carabao Cup tie against Norwich City is Chuba Akpom’s last chance. Arsene Wenger has shown that he is willing to give chances in the League Cup, and Akpom must take his. If he does not impress, or if the Gunners get knocked out, he’s unlikely to feature in any other competitions and another departure – be it permanent or temporary – would be inevitable.

Akpom could create a role for himself if he manages to impress. Olivier Giroud was heavily linked with a move away during the summer, so if Akpom proves himself capable, perhaps Wenger will decide to cash in on Giroud with the knowledge that they have Danny Welbeck and Akpom behind Alexandre Lacazette.

Next: Arsenal's Predicted XI to face Norwich

As unlikely as it may be, I hope Chuba Akpom can salvage his North London career, but time is quickly running out.