Wrexham announced the signing of their former loan goalkeeper Arthur Okonkwo on a permanent deal after his contract with Premier League giants Arsenal expired.
22-year-old Okonkwo spent last season in between the sticks at the Racecourse Ground on loan from Arsenal, before being released by the Gunners following a 15-year spell with the North London outfit.
The keeper, who stands at 6’6″, made the temporary move last summer following veteran goalie Ben Foster’s retirement just four games into the 2023/24 campaign, having conceded 13 goals, with the former England man calling it quits as he believed he was no longer up to the level required to play professional football.
After Okonkwo’s arrival, the Red Dragons’ form picked up as they made it two consecutive promotions, finishing in second place on 88 points which was enough to see them into the third tier. He went on to play 40 games in all competitions, 35 of which were in League Two, whilst keeping 16 clean sheets overall.
Okonkwo, who has represented England up to the U18s level but remains eligible for Nigeria through his family, joined Arsenal aged seven but failed to make a senior appearance for the club. He has however, made 83 career appearances through loan spells, having featured for Crewe Alexandra and Austrian side Sturm Graz before his season in Wales.
Speaking to Wrexham’s official channels, he said: “I’m feeling very good, I’m so happy to have finally signed and I can’t wait to get back to it.
“It was amazing last season. We had so many good memories together with the fans, and knowing they wanted me back was a big reason that I’m back. It’s good to finally be here.”
Manager Phil Parkinson also admitted he was delighted to see Okwonkwo return to the club on a permanent basis.
“Arthur was outstanding for us last season, and since the season finished we’ve worked really hard to secure the signing.
“It’s great credit to all the work that has gone on behind the scenes, because it’s never straightforward but we’ve always said it’s important to have perseverance to try and get your number one target – and Arthur certainly was that.”
The signing is Wrexham’s first of the window as they face their first season in the third tier since 2005 and goes a long way towards supporting claims that the club are one of the favourites for the league as they chase their third promotion in a row.
Writer’s View
Okonkwo’s signing is a clever deal for Wrexham, providing them with stability at the back as they move up a league while ensuring the man in between the sticks is permanently at the club, which always helps.
As for the club’s prospects this season, Okonkwo will certainly help their chances but given some of the teams in the league, they’ll have to strengthen further if they want to move up a division yet again.
