It’s always going to be tough for young goalkeepers to get a chance with the biggest clubs, and it’s even harder when they don’t shine on any rare chance they get with the first team.
Arthur Okonkwo is highly rated at Arsenal but did have a nightmare in a preseason game vs Hibs last season, but he bounced back to establish himself as the main stopper for the U23 side.
The next logical step will see him play regularly for a senior side somewhere, and this loan move to Crewe Alexandra could be perfect for him to prove what he can do:
Crewe have a reputation for developing young players – both their own academy products and also loan players from Premier League sides too, while they didn’t have a settled first choice in goal last season as Dave Richards and Will Jaaskelainen shared the jersey.
Richards has largely been a career back up so Okonkwo should have every chance to establish himself as the starter, so it will be fun to see how he fares if he does get that chance to play.
Crewe’s press release says he’s there to challenge Richards but he was also their number one target at the start of the summer so it sounds like he’s going to get every chance to play, while it’s also confirmed that he will be eligible to play in their first game of the season.
