Ex-Arsenal star among 7 Ajax players banned from first-team training by club via WhatsApp message: Reports

Ajax have reportedly banned seven players, including former Arsenal star Chuba Akpom, from returning to first-team training. Club CEO Alex Kroes informed the players via a WhatsApp text.

As per De Telegraaf, Borna Sosa, Kristian Hlynsson, Christian Rasmussen, Jay Gorter, and Branco van den Boomen were among the players who received the text, along with Akpom. Carlos Forbs, who has played for Wolverhampton Wanderers in the Premier League, was the final player on the list.

The Eredivisie side does not count on the players for the upcoming season and are looking to sell them this summer. They are keen on using the funds raised from the sales to improve John Heitinga's squad during the transfer window.

Akpom was loaned out to Lille in the January window, and he played 14 matches in Ligue 1, scoring three and assisting once. The former Gunners player played 16 games for Ajax earlier in the season and had the same stats in the Eredivisie.

Forbs played just once for Aajx in the league last season before he was loaned out to Wolverhampton. He made just one start in the Premier League and came off the bench nine times.

Sosa was also out on loan last season, spending the entire campaign at Torino. Hlynsson was loaned out to Sparta Rotterdam, while Rasmussen, Gorter, and Van den Boomen were at Ajax last season.

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Chuba Akpom gave transfer advice to Arsenal

Chuba Akpom spoke to a fan on TikTok this month and was quizzed about which striker Arsenal should sign. The Lille loanee was quick to pick Viktor Gyokeres over Benjamin Sesko and said:

"Gyokeres for me, and it's not even close, to be honest. It's subjective isn't it, you can talk about the age of Sesko but Gyokeres is ready now, you know I played against him in the Championship, he took Coventry to the play-off finals basically alone, with one or two other players, and he's gone to Portugal and he's scored, what is it? 50 goals in both seasons?" "If Arsenal are looking for now then it's Gyokeres and if Arsenal had Gyokeres the past few seasons, I'm not saying we would have won the Premier League but… I think Gyokeres is a beast and we need him now."

Arsenal are yet to sign Sesko or Gyokeres this summer, but remain interested in both strikers.

Edited by Aditya Singh