MIDDLESBROUGH manager Chris Wilder has said the ball is in Chuba Akpom’s court regarding his own future with the club having received no bids for the striker.

Boro are considerably short in the forward areas heading into their Championship opener against West Brom but have added Marcus Forss to the playing squad this week from Brentford.

Having initially been frozen out from the squad and was told he was free to leave earlier this summer, he has been offered a lifeline to resurrect his Boro career in light of their lack of options for strikers which, as things stand, he is currently taking.

Ahead of tomorrow’s season opening game against West Brom, Wilder said: “He’s been good so he will be involved tomorrow. He’s part of the group and no bids have come in for him so I’d be daft, especially with the situation that we are in.

“You’ve seen the team sheet on Friday and through pre-season. We’ve added Marcus Forss in that needs to be integrated into the group to that isn’t going to happen in 24 hours so I’d be daft not to keep Chuba and keep him involved.”

Having signed in the summer of 2020, Akpom had a tough first season in front of goal on Teesside with just five goals in 39 appearances. He was subsequently sent out on loan to former employers PAOK the following season. 

Having initially not been part of the pre-season picture, Akpom has been training with the first-team squad for the last few weeks and was brought on as a second half substitute in their final pre-season friendly against Marseille last week.

Wilder retains that Akpom is good enough to remain at the club but that his situation hinges on how he performs on and off the pitch in the coming weeks with just over a month to go in the transfer window.  

“His future is decided by his attitude, not me” said the Boro boss. “He’s a talented football player but it is down to him whether he can fit in with the group, whether he wants to do the work that we want him to do and is he good enough?

“His CV suggests that he’s good enough. He has possibly had too many clubs but sometimes the penny drops so we’ll wait and see. He won’t be the last player that we’ve dragged back from the wilderness that ends up staying and he won’t the last. We’ll see how that goes.

“There are all different characters and personalities in that changing room but if he does the business for us, I’m not bothered if he is somebody else’s signing. Marcus Tavernier wasn’t my signing but arguably he was one of our best and influential players.

“Whether it’s him, Crooksy, Chuba, he’s part of the group. Over to him and if there is an opportunity there, hopefully he will take that for his sake. Why would he not want to be here?”

Meanwhile, Marcus Tavernier is expected to complete his move to Bournemouth early next week after the club accepted an offer for the 23-year-old.