With Chuba Akpom set to join Brighton on loan, the young Arsenal star now has the chance to prove his true worth

When Arsenal came back for pre-season training last summer, Chuba Akpom was hoping to go on loan, to build on the experiences he gained at Hull City the previous year. But Arsene Wenger told him that he would be staying with the first team squad, with Danny Welbeck injured and Olivier Giroud having to be carefully managed after Euro 2016.

It should have been a perfect opportunity for the young striker to push for a starting place at the club that made him. But Arsenal signed Lucas Perez from Deportivo La Coruna to make up for the disappointment of missing out on Jamie Vardy, and then decided to start Alexis Sanchez up front rather than on the left.

Akpom was on the bench for the opening game against Liverpool and started the League Cup game at Nottingham Forest on 20 September. But soon after he was diagnosed with a stress fracture to his back, an injury that demanded rest. He has not been involved with the first-team since.

On Monday morning Akpom agreed a loan move to Brighton and Hove Albion until the end of the season, where he will compete with Glenn Murray for the main striking berth. It is a good move, back to the league where he played last year, for a good team which creates plenty of chances. If it goes well it could give him the confidence and momentum to set him up for more regular football, and a move to a team where he could play every week. He could plausibly be playing for Brighton in the top flight next year.

Akpom needs this loan to work well for him. He has been unfortunate this season, missing out on a loan in August then missing months with his back problem. But he is still, at the age of 21, waiting for his major breakthrough into senior football. This will be Akpom’s fifth loan and so he needs to show that he can build on his development at Hull last season.

When Akpom first emerged through the Arsenal youth system he looked like one of the most talented young strikers of his generation. He was rated as a better player than Alex Iwobi, his best friend and team-mate from school and from east London team Rippleway United. Akpom scored goals for Arsenal U18s and U21s and it looked like he would be in the first team before long.

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But it is difficult for young strikers to make that step from development to senior football. Harry Kane had four loans, none of them brilliant, before Mauricio Pochettino made him first-team centre-forward for Spurs at the age of 21. Akpom is just as talented as Kane, and two years younger, but has not had that same pathway at Arsenal.

Akpom’s record and reputation meant that there were always other big clubs interested in signing him from Arsenal. Two years ago he had good offers from the Premier League and from FC Twente, Feyenoord and Borussia Dortmund. Arsenal of course wanted to keep him so they offered him a good deal to stay and good wages of just over £25,000 per week. But that was two years ago and Akpom is still waiting for his major breakthrough. This move to Brighton is his big chance to seize it.