By Sedara Philip
Chuba Akpom’s future at Middlesbrough will be the subject of speculation in the weeks ahead following Middlesbrough’s failure to qualify for the Championship playoff final.
Middlesbrough were beaten by Coventry City on aggregate in the Championship playoff semifinal second leg on Wednesday night.
The first leg ended in a barren draw but Boro failed to make use of the home advantage as they fell to a 1-0 loss at the Riverside Stadium.
Gustavo Hamer scored the winning goal for Coventry City in the 57th minute when he clipped the ball over Zack Steffen, the Middlesbrough goalkeeper.
It was a quiet night for Akpom who could not wave his magic wand when it mattered most to help Boro gain a place in the playoff final.
It remains to be seen whether the Championship top scorer will stay at the Riverside stadium beyond this season having attracted a lot of interest from a host of Premier League clubs and German outfits, Werder Bremen and Borussia Monchengladbach.
The Super Eagles hopeful is contracted to Middlesbrough until June 2024 after the club triggered the one-year extension clause in his contract.
Middlesbrough will still have to wait for at least one more season to regain promotion back to the Premier League after getting demoted to the Championship in 2017.
