Chuba Akpom's wages at AFC Ajax compared to what he earned at Middlesbrough | OneFootball

FLW takes a look at what the former Boro star is earning with the Dutch giants, and how it compares to his salary from his time on Teesside.

Chuba Akpom departed Middlesbrough for Ajax in August 2023, as both club and player cashed in on a Championship golden boot-winning campaign.

To the delight of the rest of the division, the former Arsenal academy graduate made the move to the Dutch giants in a deal worth a reported £10.5 million as an initial fee, with add-ons potentially taking the fee up to a maximum of £12.2 million.

The forward bagged 28 goals in 40 league appearances during a memorable 2022/23 season, in a year that saw Akpom write himself into Middlesbrough folklore.

But how much is the 29-year-old earning in Amsterdam? And how does his current wage compare to what he was earning on Teesside?

Using estimates from Capology, Football League World looks into the differences to his earnings between his time at Boro and where he is now in Amsterdam.

Chuba Akpom's estimated AFC Ajax wage

With Ajax being one of the biggest, historic, and most recognisable clubs in European football, earning a move to the club will undoubtedly be one of the highlights of Akpom's career.

After making 36 appearances and scoring 15 goals whilst providing a further three assists in all competitions during his debut 2023/24 season at the Johan Cruyff Arena, he established himself as an important member of Ajax's squad.

But how much was he costing the club during his first season in the Dutch capital? According to Capology, Akpom was earning a weekly wage of £26,597, which translates to an annual salary of £1,383,039.

So, has his wage packet increased for the 2024/25 season? Well, seemingly not, as Capology has Akpom earning the exact same salary this term, and indeed for the following three seasons he's under contract at the club (contract ends at the conclusion of the 2027/28 season).

How does that figure compare to when he first signed with Middlesbrough? Let's find out.

Chuba Akpom's Middlesbrough wage during his first season on Teesside

When Middlesbrough paid Greek side PAOK a reported fee of £2.75m for Akpom back in September 2020, Boro hoped they'd struck a bargain for a player they'd hoped would fix their goalscoring woes.

However, the former Arsenal youngster wasn't an immediate hit at the Riverside Stadium, far from it in fact, as after bagging just five goals in 38 Championship appearances during his debut season on Teesside, questions were being asked over the relatively little return they'd received on their investment.

According to Capology, that investment saw Middlesbrough hand Akpom a weekly wage of £17,500, making him one of the higher earners at the club that season.

He was subsequently loaned back to PAOK for the duration of the 2021/22 season, and returned to the North East in the summer of 2022 fully expecting to leave the club.

An injury crisis in Middlesbrough's attacking ranks and a golden boot award later, and Teessiders were praying that he'd sign a new long-term contract.

Understandably though, the allure of playing for one of European football's biggest institutions, in a top league and with the added caveat of playing European football, he took his chance to sign for Ajax instead.

How does Chuba Akpom's 2022/23 Middlesbrough wage compare with current Ajax salary?

2022/23 was the season that really saw Middlesbrough get their money's worth and then some on Akpom, despite still falling short of winning promotion to the Premier League.

But, how does his wage packet from his crowning season on Teesside compare to what he's earning at Ajax currently?

According to Capology, Akpom was earning a weekly salary of £22,500 during the 2022/23 season, which equates to an annual salary of £1,170,00.

Perhaps surprisingly then, that means that Akpom only took just over an estimated £4,000 weekly wage rise moving from the Championship to the Eredivisie.

Given the size of the transfer fee and the jump from English football's second tier to the Dutch top-flight, and of course when you consider the performances he put in to earn this move, this will likely come as a surprise to many Middlesbrough supporters.

Money isn't everything for certain players though, and clearly, the status of the club he'd be joining and the resulting stages he'd now get to perform on was enough for Akpom.