Wrexham must take brutal transfer action over double promotion-winner | OneFootball

Wrexham should aim to get rid of Arthur Okonkwo this summer.

To climb up the EFL pyramid, you must make bold and sometimes unpopular decisions.

Wrexham knows that well, having earned three consecutive promotions in part from doing exactly that. For as close as Phil Parkinson’s men were to getting into the Premier League this season, there are lessons that come with narrowly missing out on that dream. Among the Red Dragons' biggest concerns should be their goalkeeping situation, specifically Arthur Okonkwo.

As valuable as his contributions were to their League One and Two promotions, there is plenty of evidence to suggest the club should move on from him this summer.

Arthur Okonkwo’s resume at Wrexham

Early into Wrexham’s League Two campaign in 2023-24, it was clear they needed a new face between the sticks. As experienced as Ben Foster was and as iconic as his penalty save was to move them out of the National League, he didn’t appear ready to take them into the third tier.

Fortunately, Arsenal were keen to give Arthur Okonkwo some valuable experience in the lower leagues, sending him to north Wales on a season-long loan in September 2023. The Camden-born shot-stopper quickly established himself as among the best at his position at that level with great reflexes and timely saves. Over that campaign, he finished third in League Two for clean sheets with 14, while ranking second in goals prevented (9.5) and leading the way in save percentage (78.1) per FotMob. Unsurprisingly, he was named to the League Two Team of the Season.

Thanks to those performances, the Red Dragons pushed to sign him to a permanent contract. In June 2024, the club announced on their website that he’d committed to them until the end of the 2026-27 season.

He expectedly began 2024-25 as the first-choice keeper with his side flying out of the gates, going unbeaten in their first five domestic affairs. Despite missing some time through injury, Okonkwo eventually got back into that starting 11. You could argue this was partly because of Callum Burton’s long-term injury and Mark Howard's lack of stamina to aid Wrexham in another promotional push.

No matter your take on that, Okonkwo was the preferred choice down the stretch of the League One season as the Red Dragons claimed a historic third straight promotion. Okonkwo again played his part, finishing second in clean sheets domestically (19) and leading in save percentage (78.1) according to FotMob.

While many expected Parkinson would roll with Okonkwo in the Championship, there were signs in 2024-25 that the Wrexham boss didn’t trust him. There was a point in 2025 when Okonkwo was benched in favour of Mark Howard. Eventually, though, Okonkwo got his job back and seemed primed to continue as the club’s first choice moving forward.

Phil Parkinson lost faith in Okonkwo last season

Phil Parkinson helped get the Red Dragons into the Championship, in large part, by being ruthless both in the transfer market and in his team selections. When Danny Ward returned to the north of Wales last summer on a free transfer, it was seen as an insurance policy and a mentor for Okonkwo.

As it turns out, Okonkwo was the insurance, with the 32-year-old getting the starts in the early portion of that campaign, to many people’s surprise. Although Wrexham didn’t begin the campaign well, Ward looked like a calming presence and was extremely decisive. Unfortunately, a dislocated elbow forced the Welshman to the sidelines for the long term, leaving Parkinson with no alternative but to put Okonkwo back in.

Back as the #1, Okonkwo had his share of memorable moments, including a highlight-reel save in a victory over arch-rivals Swansea City in March.

In addition to that, he was instrumental in his team’s shocking FA Cup upset over Nottingham Forest, stopping the decisive penalty to send them through.

Although he had his share of big moments both in that competition and the Championship, there were notable flaws in Okonkwo’s game. The biggest is one he’s been known for ever since coming to the north of Wales; his distribution. There are many great goalkeepers, past and present, who have struggled with this, and Okonkwo is no exception. He had just over 50% success rate on his passing in the second tier (52.3).

His weaknesses were not squarely due to that, however. Overall, this past season, Okonkwo was among the most used Wrexham players in the Championship, logging over 3,400 minutes. Their 65 goals conceded were tied for the fifth-most in the league. Okonkwo gave up 53 of those goals, 30 more than he’d allowed in the previous League One campaign. Obviously, we knew he’d face stiffer tests in the Championship. That said, he made some critical errors that no keeper at any level should make. Exhibit A, his team’s 2-1 defeat to Swansea City last December.

At the end of the season, Okonkwo’s save percentage was a mere 67.9%, far below what we’re used to seeing from him. According to FotMob, he made three errors that led to goals this season domestically, one more than he committed in his previous two EFL campaigns combined.

Wrexham must take brutal transfer action on Arthur Okonkwo

When Ryan Reynolds and Rob Mac took over, the objective was clear: get to the Premier League. Last season proved that it’s far from a pipe dream, but also that more big changes are needed.

Okonkwo was impactful in many respects last season, but also a liability. Ward, meanwhile, has the experience of taking a team to the Premier League. Serving as the hero for Huddersfield Town in 2017 as they reached the top-flight thanks to his penalty stops.

Along with that, there are sure to be some EFL teams that would jump at the opportunity to add Okonkwo to their ranks via a loan or permanent deal. He has just a year left on his Wrexham contract and can undoubtedly aid teams in the lower divisions. He’s got a host of highlights and accolades that could entice EFL clubs and those abroad to pay top dollar for his service in the short and long term. That money could be put to good use for Wrexham to pay for some upgrades over the summer transfer window.

Reverting to Danny Ward rather than Okonkwo in the dying stages of 2025-26 was a telling sign of how little confidence Parkinson had in the latter. The Red Dragons' season was theirs for the taking, and the manager felt it best to go with the veteran rather than the man who helped get them to the Championship.

After last season, Wrexham fans and players can taste the Premier League. To get to the top-flight, though, sooner rather than later, tougher calls must be made. That’s how the club have always been since the takeover, and there’s no reason to believe that tried, tested, and true philosophy will suddenly change this summer.