Burnley, Sheffield United, Luton 'in race for Ajax striker Chuba Akpom'

The former Arsenal man earned a coveted move to the Eredivisie giants in the summer following a stellar campaign in terms of goal contributions for Michael Carrick's Middlesbrough in the Championship.

Akpom made the net ripple on 28 occasions in 40 second-tier appearances for the Teesside club, winning the division's Golden Boot and Player of the Season award.

The 28-year-old has not been an automatic pick for Ajax since moving to the Netherlands, starting just two Eredivisie matches, but he has managed five goals in nine league games.

According to TEAMtalk, a raft of Premier League clubs are keen on Akpom and would be willing to sign the forward in the January transfer window.

The report claims that all three of the newly-promoted clubs are admirers of the striker, meaning Burnley, Sheffield United and Luton are in the race for his services.

It is understood that Akpom would be open to a move back to England despite joining Ajax less than six months ago from the Riverside Stadium in Middlesbrough.

Sitting bottom of the pile in the Premier League standings, Burnley have collected just four points from their opening 13 matches and look set for an immediate return to the Championship.

Vincent Kompany's men are the lowest scorers in the division and were dealt a blow in their striking department with the news that Lyle Foster will be taking a break from football to focus on his mental health.

The Blades of Sheffield commenced their campaign with an inexperienced forward line of Will Osula and Benie Traore, but the arrival of Cameron Archer from Aston Villa has significantly boosted Paul Heckingbottom's offensive options.

Rob Edwards's Hatters have been relying on tried-and-tested players in the Football League during their maiden term in the Premier League, including the likes of Chiedozie Ogbene, Carlton Morris and Jacob Brown.

The three newly-promoted clubs face further competition for Akpom according to the report, with Fulham, Everton and Crystal Palace also interested in the ex-Boro marksman.

Marco Silva's Cottagers lost leading goalscorer Aleksandar Mitrovic to the riches of Saudi Pro League outfit Al-Hilal in the summer, and replacement Raul Jimenez from Wolverhampton Wanderers is failing to hit the standards set by the Serbian, with the Mexico international scoring one goal in 12 league matches.

Palace also saw their talisman depart ahead of the 2023-24 campaign with Wilfried Zaha joining Turkish giants Galatasaray, however the likes of Odsonne Edouard and Eberechi Eze have stepped up in the Ivorian's absence.

Akpom found the net in Ajax's 5-0 thrashing of strugglers Vitesse on the weekend, and the 28-year-old will be looking to make his mark once again as John van't Schip's men face a trip to Marseille in the Europa League on Thursday night.