Chuba Akpom claims that when he left Middlesbrough two years ago, he declined a lucrative offer to relocate to Saudi Arabia in lieu of joining Ajax.
The striker departed Boro two years ago and was recently expelled by Ajax, who instructed him to find a new team this summer.
It came after Akpom scored 29 goals in a career-best season at the Riverside, making him the first Boro player to score 20 goals or more in a league campaign since Bernie Slaven in 1990.
Boro, who had lost out on Premier League promotion through the play-offs, had tried to persuade Akpom to stay. However, with only a year left on his contract at the time, Boro was unable to meet his demands, thus they had to accept the loss of their best player. Although switching to the Dutch giants greatly enhanced Akpom's pay, it appears he might have made much more money if he had decided to relocate to Saudi Arabia instead.
Akpom disclosed on a Twitch stream alongside Kaysosa: "I got an offer from Saudi before I signed for Ajax. I didn't sleep for five days, so I swear! The difference is that although hearing curiosity is one thing, seeing it expressed in writing causes your body to react. Everything begins to itch!
"I was sitting in bed with my girl, breaking things down. I'm not sure if you've experienced this before, but just picture yourself spending a particular amount of money that you're about to receive but haven't yet received! We're dissecting it and considering every possible outcome.
Wow, if this check clears, I'm thinking. Then again, I reconsider. What a fantastic club Ajax is. The bread [money] is still good, of course. I'm staying in Europe, near my family in the fantastic city of Amsterdam. Money is vital, don't get me wrong. I'm not one of those wealthy men who claim that money isn't significant. Family is unquestionably more important than money.
"Ajax came along just as I was about to sign with another team. When my agent called, I said right away, "Let's talk to Ajax, let's pause with the other club." Every game was sold out, making it an incredible and historic club. The fans are incredible. Yes, we did make that happen.
Akpom was also questioned throughout the broadcast about why, in contrast to his second season at the club (which was cut short by a season spent on loan at PAOK), he struggled at Boro in the beginning. Under Neil Warnock's tutelage, the striker only scored five goals in his debut season.
"The first season at Middlesbrough actually got off to a pretty good start," Akpom stated. In my first two games, I scored two goals.
It was a tumble from grace after that. My style wasn't really in line with Neil Warnock's, the manager at the time. Therefore, in that first season, it didn't really work. It was a difficult beginning.
It affected my confidence, but it's a normal aspect of football's highs and lows. A confident football player is not the same as one who lacks confidence. That season, when there were no fans and everyone was cooped up at home due to COVID, I didn't have much faith. There was a lot of activity.
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