Confirmed: Chelsea loan out Super Falcons-eligible midfielder to Birmingham City

Through their official website, Chelsea have announced that England U19 international midfielder Ashanti Akpan has been loaned out to Women's Championship side Birmingham City.

Akpan, also eligible for Nigeria's Super Falcons and Poland's Eaglesses through her father and mother respectively, has joined the St Andrew's outfit for the 2024-2025 season in search of regular game time. 

Since making her senior debut for Chelsea in a 3-1 victory over Reading at the quarterfinal stage of the Women’s FA Cup on March 19, 2023, the tri-national player has not received a call-up for a first team game, although she has been invited to train with the first team on multiple occasions.

Her first squad involvement came against Real Madrid in the UEFA Women's Champions League under iconic coach Emma Hayes but she was a non-playing substitute, at the age of 16.

Ashanti joined Chelsea at the age of seven, rising through the youth team ranks to sign her first professional contract in December 2023.

On the international stage, the 18-year-old was a member of the England squad to the 2024 UEFA European U19 Championship, helping the Young Lionesses qualify for the semifinals of the competition.

The English-Polish-Nigerian midfielder won the FA Youth Cup with Chelsea in the 2021-2022 and the FA WSL Academy Cup in 2022-2023.

Akpan previously worked with Birmingham City head coach Amy Merricks at England U19s.

Igho Kingsley 

Photo Credit: bcfc.com

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