Wrexham goalkeeper Arthur Okonkwo has been very hit and miss since signing for the club on a permanent deal from Arsenal last year.
Arthur Okonkwo thoroughly impressed on loan at Wrexham during the 2023/24 season. So much so that Phil Parkinson urged Wrexham to sign Okonkwo on a permanent deal from Arsenal last summer.
But the 24-year-old endured a bit of a mixed season in League One. He made a number of errors and spent time on the bench too.
Similarly this season, Parkinson opted with Danny Ward at first but the former Liverpool man’s long-term elbow injury has seen Okonkwo return to the fold, where he’s been mixed.
Okonkwo was poor in Wrexham’s defeat against QPR and arguably should’ve kept out Derby County’s goal in the 1-1 draw last month.
Now though, it looks like Parkinson might be signing Okonkwo’s long-term replacement at the Racecourse.
Wrexham set to sign Sam Hocking, per reports
An emerging report from Football Insider has claimed that Wrexham are ‘set to sign Australian youth goalkeeper Sam Hocking’ after the former Perth Glory youth player impressed during a trial period in North Wales.
An 18-year-old shot-stopper, Hocking has been on trial with multiple EFL clubs including the likes of Middlesbrough and Preston. But it’s Wrexham who are set to sign him on a one-year deal and Hocking will then have the chance to secure himself a long-term future at the Racecourse.
For Parkinson, whose first-team goalkeeper options are limited and not all that impressive, Hocking may be someone who quickly comes into reckoning for the senior team if he can impress in the youth ranks.
Three reasons why Sam Hocking could be Wrexham’s future no.1
Wrexham placing more focus on youth
Earlier in the year, Parkinson said Wrexham are placing much more focus on their youth academy. The club are playing catch up with their Championship rivals; improving the facilities and improving the way they recruit and develop younger players.
Hocking arriving as an exciting signing for the youth team will surely put more eyes on him than others in the youth side.
Wrexham are promoting more and more youth players
Max Cleworth is the poster boy for Wrexham’s youth team. But there’s also the likes of Harry Ashfield who’s impressed Wrexham fans at senior level, having come through the ranks.
It shows that Wrexham are giving more and more younger players the chance to shine in the first-team and those coming up are holding their own too.
Arthur Okonkwo’s progression seems to be stalling
Okonkwo is still young for a goalkeeper, and whilst he’s definitely shown glimpses of a goalkeeper with huge potential, even in the Championship this season.
But there’s a sense that he might not be the answer in the long-run, especially if Wrexham make it into the Premier League given the mistakes he’s made in goal since signing for the club permanently.