Ipswich Town beat Birmingham City to transfer - But it’s the Blues who are laughing now | OneFootball

Chuba Akpom chose to sign for Ipswich insetad of Birmingham, but Chris Davies won't be losing much sleep over the decision

Both Ipswich Town and Birmingham City look poised for a top-six finish in the EFL Championship this season, though it looks as if the Blues were the winners in the two clubs' hotly contested summer transfer battle.

Despite neither being currently in the top two places in the Championship, both Ipswich and Birmingham will be relatively pleased with where they find themselves in the second-tier table, albeit both sides would have been hoping for better at this stage.

Ipswich's recent 5-3 defeat away to Wrexham was particularly damaging, having been the second time in eight days that the Tractor Boys had travelled to North Wales and been defeated.

This has seen Kieran McKenna's side lose ground on Coventry City and Middlesbrough ahead of them, whilst allowing Birmingham to slowly close the gap behind them.

Chris Davies' side blew League One away last campaign on their way to an EFL record-breaking 111 points, with expectations heading into this year being at an all-time high.

The Blues started the year somewhat slowly, but have recently found their groove and catapulted themselves into the play-off hunt, all without a player who decided to join the Tractor Boys instead, but whose impact has been minimal.

Both Ipswich and Birmingham were heavily chasing the signature of former Middlesbrough star Akpom, 30, this summer, with the forward available for transfer after it was made clear he was surplus to requirements at Ajax.

The former England youth international and Arsenal academy graduate signed for Boro from Greek side PAOK for £2.75 million in the summer of 2020, though it would take a couple of years for him to make an impact on Teesside.

During the 2022/23 season, under Michael Carrick, Akpom exploded into life, scoring 28 and assisting twice in 38 league matches that season, earning a move to Ajax the following summer.

Though having struggled in Amsterdam and then on loan with Lille, he was once again on the move this summer, and had to decide between either Portman Road or St Andrews.

He'd choose the newly-relegated side over the newly-promoted side, signing on loan with an obligation to buy for £7 million if Ipswich earn promotion, though his impact since the switch has fallen far beneath expectation.

Akpom has started just seven league games in 23 Championship appearances, scoring twice and assisting once, with former Norwich City midfielder Marcelino Nunez preferred in the number 10 role, whilst both George Hirst and Ivan Azon have been preferred up front.

Few, including Akpom himself, would have predicted his severe lack of game time when he first arrived, and whilst at the time Birmingham would have been frustrated with his decision, they likely won't care now.

The Blues can boast the likes of Jay Stansfield, Marvin Ducksch, August Priske, Kyogo Furuhashi, and Kanya Fujimoto in the positions where Akpom would play, and though the latter two have also struggled, head coach Chris Davies will be pleased with his current options.

The 30-year-old's lack of impact at Portman Road has been as unexpected as it is worrying, with McKenna clearly favouring a couple of other options ahead of him as things stand.

Akpom could well play a big role for the Tractor Boys in the latter stages of the season, but given how this campaign has gone thus far, it's not to be expected, as Birmingham must be laughing at missing out on him now.

Chris Davies must be glad to have missed out on Chuba Akpom deal

It's no secret just how close Akpom was to signing for Birmingham instead of Ipswich this summer, with the player himself even admitting it upon his arrival in Suffolk.

Akpom said, "Look, it’s no secret, there have been so many leaks, I was close to joining Birmingham.

"I had some interest from the Premier League and other top divisions, but once I decided that I wanted to come back to the Champ I always had my mind set on Ipswich. I was 100% certain that if they wanted me then I’d go there.

"Fortunately, they came in at the last moment. Once it was all signed and done I was so glad just to focus on playing football."

It's certainly not been a notable return to the Championship for Akpom, who has started just two of Ipswich's last 15 league games, unable to cement himself in McKenna's starting XI.

Both teams look well-placed for a top-six finish come May, and whilst Birmingham will have to do so without the availability of Akpom, they likely won't be too bothered by that propsect, given how his time at Portman Road has gone so far.