2022 Nigeria U23 invitee reveals Arsenal have been monitoring his progress at Chesterfield 

Nigerian-born midfielder Tim Akinola has revealed that Arsenal have been monitoring his progress at Chesterfield. 

Akinola, who trained with Nigeria's U23 national team in the fall of 2022 before an U23 AFCON qualifier versus Tanzania, joined Chesterfield on a season-long loan last September. 

The 21-year-old was resigned to transferring to the fifth tier club on a temporary basis because he had just recovered from a serious ankle injury that he suffered during a loan spell at Scottish Premiership outfit Dundee United in the second half of last season. 

The Gunners have high hopes for the promising midfielder and extended his contract for two more years even though he was sidelined by injury.

Akinola has certainly enjoyed first team football at Chesterfield, with twenty two appearances in all competitions since his loan move. 

"They (Arsenal) watched the FA Cup and a couple of the league games," Akinola told Derbyshire Times.

"They watch it online as well if they are not able to watch it in person. The feedback has been really positive,"

Although Akinola has yet to receive a call-up for an official game, he made his non-competitive debut for Arsenal's first team in a behind-closed-doors friendly against Brentford in September 2021.

Ifeanyi Emmanuel 

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