Transfer Centre

Arsenal goalkeeper Arthur Okonkwo signs new long-term deal

By Ben Knapton, Senior Reporter | 09 July 2021

Arsenal confirm that teenage goalkeeper Arthur Okonkwo has signed a new long-term deal and will train with the first team for the 2021-22 season.

Arsenal have confirmed that teenage goalkeeper Arthur Okonkwo has signed a new long-term contract with the club.

The 19-year-old is still waiting to make his debut for the senior side, but he has risen through the youth ranks in North London and featured seven times in the Premier League 2 for the Under-23s last term.

At a time where Bernd Leno and Alex Runarsson's futures are far from certain, Arsenal have tied Okonkwo down to a new long-term deal as the teenager prepares to link up with the first-team squad for the 2021-22 season.

Speaking to the official Arsenal website, technical director Edu said: "The work of our academy and development of young players for the first team is a huge part of what we stand for as a club. They have produced some top players in recent years all of who have a special connection with the club and our fans.

"It's great that we have our third goalkeeper who has progressed from our academy and we look forward to seeing more young players coming through. Arthur has worked hard to get this far and we're confident he'll have an exciting future."

Gunners manager Mikel Arteta added: "We welcome Arthur to the first-team squad. We are so happy another academy player has come through our system at the club.

"Together with Arthur's huge talent and hard work, we thank our colleagues at the academy for developing Arthur in recent years to get to this stage, they are doing great work with the players' development here and should be really proud.

"Arthur was working and travelling a lot with the first team last season and we have all seen his quality at first hand. He is a strong young goalkeeper with great potential and we're so pleased he has signed a new deal. He has absolutely earned his place in the first-team squad.

"Arthur will now join us every single day in training, where we look forward to watching him continue to develop and improve his goalkeeping. I know all our fans will join me in congratulating Arthur on this positive step in his career."

Okonkwo has also been capped by England at Under-16, Under-17 and Under-18 level, and he has kept nine clean sheets in 25 appearances across Arsenal's Under-18 and Under-23 sides.