Wrexham midfielder James McClean has issued a bold prediction about teammate Arthur Okonkwo heading into the 2024/25 League One season.
Wrexham may have signed six new players this summer but the most eye-catching of them all was acquiring goalkeeper Arthur Okonkwo permanently.
The 22-year-old starred on loan at the Racecourse Ground last term and as a result, attracted Championship interest.
However, it was Phil Parkinson who won the race for his signature on a free transfer following his release from Arsenal.
Okonkwo has since played a regular part for the Reds in pre-season, despite the arrival of Callum Burton, with the talented shot-stopper cementing his place as first-choice.
Although he’s never played in League One previously, he’s arguably one of the best goalkeepers in the division and he’s rated highly by his teammates, supporters and manager.
James McClean issues a bold prediction about Arthur Okonkwo
The EFL have launched a fantasy game where you pick a team consisting of seven players, including a goalkeeper, two defenders, midfielders and attackers.
Managers can select up to two players from each EFL Club, among the seven players chosen, per gameweek.
Similarly to Fantasy Premier League, managers can nominate a captain to score double points, and a vice-captain each week.
It’s an exciting game for supporters to sink their teeth into and it heightens the experience of watching EFL matches, especially now that over 1000 are being shown on Sky across the season.
For Wrexham, Paul Mullin is the highest-owned player at 23.5%, although that is a surprise given he’s set to miss the first game through injury.
Mullin will be a valuable asset in the game when fully fit however, when the Wrexham players were asked which of their teammates would score the most points, midfielder James McClean didn’t select the 29-year-old.
As per Wrexham’s official X page, McClean selected Okonkwo to score the most points, saying: “Me *chuckles* no my bookings will take it down. You know who I’m going to go for, big Arthur, clean sheets. We’re going to be defensively resolute.”
The Irishman wasn’t the only person to select the towering goalkeeper as wing-back Ryan Barnett agreed.
“I’m going to go that man there. You’ve got pan [the camera], big Arth. Clean sheets Arthur Okonkwo,” he said.
READ MORE: James McClean: Profile, Height, Transfer, Salary, Net Worth and More
Arthur Okonkwo is Wrexham’s signing of the summer
Capturing Okonkwo permanently was, and still is, Wrexham’s signing of the summer.
The Englishman was one of their most influential players last term and to beat Championship clubs to the signing just shows the ambition that Wrexham have.
At the age of 22, Okonkwo is also extremely young for a goalkeeper and he has plenty of years left to develop into the finished article, potentially landing the Reds a seven or eight-figure fee in the future.
Getting the deal across the line so early has set the tone for a productive summer, where Parkinson has assembled a strong squad, predominantly addressing issues in defence and midfield.
Whilst he’s now looking to strengthen in attack by signing a striker in the closing weeks of the window, it still feels like – regardless of who they acquire – Okonkwo will still be their most important signing.
He must now back up that praise by transferring his incredible performances across to League One.