BY ANDREW EKEJIUBA
Anglo-Nigerian starlet Arthur Okonkwo is in advanced talks to sign a new contract with Arsenal despite speculation linking him with a departure from the club in the summer.
Arsenal were very keen to tie down Okonkwo to a new deal with his contract set to expire at the end of this season amid massive ‘interest from several European teams’.
After several months of negotiations, there has been a breakthrough in discussions with The Gunners higher-ups assuring him of a pathway to the first team.
The plan is for Okonkwo to extend his contract and be loaned out to a League One or League Two team next season to continue his development.
The 19-year-old was picked by manager Mikel Arteta in the matchday squads for Europa League games against Olympiakos and Villarreal, home and away.
A product of Arsenal’s Hale End Academy, Okonkwo is currently behind Bernd Leno, Mathew Ryan and Rúnar Alex Rúnarsson in the pecking order of goalkeepers at the Emirates Stadium.
