Arthur Okonkwo has admitted that he ‘couldn’t even imagine’ being promoted to Arsenal’s senior side this time last week.
The 19-year-old goalkeeper put pen to paper on a new contract in North London on Friday.
Okonkwo is yet to make his senior debut for Arsenal but there were signs toward the end of last season that Mikel Arteta was going to promote him into the first team next term.
That’s because the young goalkeeper – who came through the Gunners’ academy – made the bench for major Europa League games against Villarreal and Olympiacos respectively.
And the player himself has admitted that this promotion is a ‘new challenge’ for him.
He told Arsenal’s official website: “Just the other week I couldn’t even imagine being promoted to the first team so this is a big push for me, a new challenge for me. So I am very excited to start. I think short term [my goal] would be getting used to being in the first-team environment, getting used to the players I’m with.”
End of the line for Runarsson?
Arsenal brought in Alex Runarsson as Bernd Leno’s deputy last summer, but it was a dismal first season in North London for the Icelandic keeper.
The Express reported this week that Okonkwo was set to replace Runarsson in Arteta’s senior squad for the 2021-22 campaign.
And now that he has been upgraded, it’s logical that there’ll be a lot more speculation about the latter leaving now over the coming days and weeks.
Turkish Super Lig side Altay are reportedly in talks to sign the 25-year-old.
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