After an excellent season out on loan, Arsenal now need to hand a new contract to a youngster who’s taken his game to a whole new level.
Mikel Arteta and his team have some incredibly important decisions to make in order to continue this season’s success into the next.
And although there’s still so much on the line before the end of May, that planning will have begun.
It seems as if the players who leave the club in the next few months will dictate how Arsenal approach the summer window, when they should be in a strong position to invest once again.
Kai Havertz’s success as a false nine seems to have changed plans to perhaps move for a star like Victor Osimhen, meaning funds can be used elsewhere.
But as well as attempting to repeat the Declan Rice success of last summer, Arsenal will have some more subtle decisions to make too.
And they should start by handing 22-year-old goalkeeper Arthur Okonkwo a new contract.
Having now played 38 games for Wrexham in their promotion-winning season, Okonkwo has proved he’s ready.
Arsenal need to offer Arthur Okonkwo a new contract after Wrexham loan success
Arthur Okonkwo’s current Arsenal contract is set to expire at the end of June, and given his success this season he must be attracting a lot of interest.
According to Sofascore, the goalkeeper has been Wrexham’s third strongest performer across the season, with an average rating of 7.28 by their metrics.
The Hale End talent has only been bettered by Paul Mullin and Elliot Lee, two outstanding players at League Two level.
It’s the first time in Okonkwo’s career that he’s been entrusted to play a full season as a senior number one, even if also enjoy good minutes with Crewe Alexandra in the 2022/23 season.
But given the progress he has demonstrated this year, Arsenal should definitely be offering the young talent a new deal.
Could Arthur Okonkwo be David Raya’s new number two?
With Aaron Ramsdale perhaps looking likely to leave this summer, there’s opportunities to be had.
Karl Hein needs a loan deal, he can’t continue to play youth football for his whole club career.
And perhaps Okonkwo could even make a claim to be Arsenal’s new number two, if he can then impress in pre-season.
Although Mikel Arteta has been keen to have two number ones this season, David Raya may be entrusted to start all games next.
Personally I do think Okonkwo would be slightly short of being a number two for Arsenal right now, but that’s not to say it could change with another loan.
Either way, Arsenal would seem very well-advised to keep the young ‘cheat code’, as he’s been called, on their books for the foreseeable.
A tremendous young talent who’s really hit an upwards curve this season.
Of course, it does remain to be seen if Okonkwo will now deem it time to leave himself, in search of more first team chances like he’s received this campaign.
All that being said, it now seems as if Arsenal could potentially have some luck signing a player on a free transfer themselves.
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