Gillingham, Stockport join race for Arsenal's Nigerian-born DM but face foreign competition

English Football League clubs have to see off competition from foreign teams for the services of Arsenal's Nigerian-born defensive midfielder Tim Akinola in the summer transfer window, allnigeriasoccer.com can exclusively report. 

In addition to Oxford United, the 2022 Nigeria's Olympic National Team invitee is also a player of interest to Gillingham and Stockport County. 

Three-time Romanian champions Rapid Bucharest are pushing to sign the 22-year-old, having held talks with the player's camp over a transfer. 

Turkish First League teams Umraniyespor and Genclerbirligi are also in the hunt for Akinola but nothing is concrete at the moment. 

Akinola is in the final twelve months of his contract with Arsenal and would prefer leaving the Emirates Stadium permanently in the summer but there's a possibility of the Gunners extending his contract. 

Arsenal are keen on selling the Nigerian but are considering extending his contract by an extra year also in order to keep their twelve-month cushion if only a loan option is what is available in this window. 

Since landing at Arsenal from Huddersfield Town in August 2020, Akinola has yet to make his first-team debut and was loaned out to Dundee United in the second half of the 2021-2022 campaign, before he headed to Chesterfield for the entirety of last season. 

Ifeanyi Emmanuel 

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