Out of contract goalkeeper Arthur Okonkwo wants a £1 million-a-year deal if he’s to commit his future to Premier League giants Arsenal, as reported by All Nigeria Soccer.
When the time came for Arsenal to reveal their retained list at the start of June, all eyes were firmly fixed on a teenager who, despite not making his first-team debut, still has plenty of admirers on the red half of north London.
Gunners supporters were desperate to find out whether Okonkwo would stay or go.
Three weeks later, we still don’t have an answer to that particular question.
The England U18 international will be a free agent next month and, unless Arsenal can come to an agreement between now and then, one of the most promising young shot-stoppers in the country may be clearing out his locker and leaving on a free.
Can Arsenal keep hold of Okonkwo?
According to All Nigeria Soccer, it’s Okonkwo’s demands that are causing problems.
The 19-year-old wants £1 million a year or, to put it another way, £20,000 a week.
That would put the club’s fourth-choice goalkeeper on a par with the likes of Joe Willock and Emile Smith Rowe (Spotrac), two first-team players who started a combined 39 Premier League games last season.
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And, unfortunately for Arsenal, it’s Okonkwo who holds the power in this particular stand-off.
Bow down to his demands and the Gunners will be handing a seven-figure sum to a man who, while training regularly with Mikel Arteta’s first team, failed to make the match-day squad for a single game in 2020/21.
Refuse, however, and a goalkeeper brimming with potential will be heading for the exit.
And Arsenal don’t exactly have a great track record when it comes to keeping their most exciting young talent. Ismael Bennacer, Serge Gnabry and Yunus Musah would attest to that.
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