"Definitely prefer the deal" - Birmingham City backed to sign Chuba Akpom alternative | OneFootball

FLW's Birmingham City fan pundit has given his verdict on the impending arrival of Marvin Ducksch

This article is part of Football League World's 'Terrace Talk' series, which provides personal opinions from our FLW Fan Pundits regarding the latest breaking news, teams, players, managers, potential signings and more…

Birmingham City are closing in on the signing of Marvin Ducksch after their attempt to bring in Chuba Akpom failed.

According to Florian Plettenberg, the Midlands outfit have sealed an agreement worth €2 (£1.75) million for the forward.

The 31-year-old has spent the last four seasons with Werder Bremen, helping them gain promotion from the 2. Bundesliga in 2022, before going on to score 32 goals in the German top flight for the club.

He contributed eight goals and eight assists from 32 appearances in the league last year, with Bremen coming eighth in the table.

Marvin Ducksch preferred to Chuba Akpom

When asked if Ducksch could be a better short-term option than Akpom, FLW’s Birmingham fan pundit Jason Moore claimed that he could be due to his better overall goal scoring record.

As an alternative to the ex-Middlesbrough striker, he believes the 31-year-old could be a fine addition to Chris Davies’ side.

“There’s a lot of unknown variables, he seems to have a decent record at Bundesliga level,” Moore told Football League World.

“I guess we just have to wait and see.

“I definitely prefer the deal to the Akpom one purely because he’s got a better overall goal scoring record over more seasons.

“Akpom only really seems to have the one season with Middlesbrough, apart from that he’s not been too prolific.

“Granted, you still can’t turn your nose up at being a team in the Championship, he’s potentially a cheat code.

“But I’m more than fine with taking Ducksch, to be fair.

“I think they’re both going to play a similar role, sort of what Lyndon Dykes was doing last season.

“So, I’m happy with it.

“If he gets us in the Premier League at the first time of asking, I’m all for it.”

Birmingham will begin their upcoming league campaign on Friday night with a home clash against Ipswich Town.

Ducksch signing is a solid cheap alternative to Akpom

Akpom may have been the less risky gamble than Ducksch given he has a proven track record in the Championship, he’s younger and it would’ve been a loan deal.

However, Ducksch could be a solid short-term solution to lead the line in Davies’ side given the relatively cheap cost of the deal.

His track record in the Bundesliga is promising, and shows that he can both score and create goals for others.

If he can hit the ground running with a strong campaign this year, then it may prove a smart alternative to Akpom for Birmingham.