Wrexham co-owner, Rob McElhenney, has confirmed that the club is in active discussions to bring back Arthur Okonkwo. The 22-year-old goalkeeper became a free agent following his release from Arsenal.
Okonkwo spent most of last season on loan at Wrexham, stepping into the shoes of Premier League veteran Ben Foster who left abruptly. His performance was instrumental in propelling Phil Parkinson’s side to secure back-to-back promotions and rise to League One.
The young goalkeeper featured in 40 games across all competitions, keeping an impressive record of 16 clean sheets in the league and conceding only 35 goals. This outstanding performance earned him the title of League Two Goalkeeper of the Season. Despite his heroics at Racecourse Ground, he was not offered a contract extension by Arsenal and was listed among the 22 players released by Gunners at season's end.
A potential gain for Wrexham
McElhenney revealed during an interview with talkSPORT that they are keen on bringing Okonkwo back to north Wales. When asked about the likelihood of this happening over summer, he responded positively saying there is a "very good chance."
Wrexham co-owner, Rob McElhenney, said:
“We’re talking to Arthur actively right now, we know he wants to come back to Wrexham and we definitely want him. It’s just about working out the right deal that works for everybody.”
Okonkwo had quickly established himself as Wrexham's first-choice goalkeeper following his arrival last season. He played a total of 36 games in League Two where he kept 14 clean sheets which significantly contributed towards returning Wrexham to League One for the first time since 2005.
Wrexham looking for strong transfer window
In addition to discussing Okonkwo’s potential return, McElhenney also hinted at other transfer plans for summer as excitement builds around their successive promotion seasons. The American co-chairman disclosed that he will soon be visiting the club to discuss possible deals.
Rob McElhenney added:
“We’re about to find that out this week, we go to Wrexham very soon and we’re going to sit down and talk about that with Phil [Parkinson].”
McElhenney shared this news from the Philadelphia Phillies dugout before throwing the ceremonial first pitch at the MLB London Series against New York Mets. The series was held at a completely transformed London Stadium, home of West Ham United.
This marked McElhenney's first visit to the ground, and he expressed hope that it won't be too long until he returns - this time to watch Wrexham compete in the Premier League. Gunners loss could potentially be Wrexham’s gain as they look forward to welcoming back their star goalkeeper and continue their upward trajectory in English football.
