Arthur Okonkwo Wages & Contract
| Year | Club | Weekly Salary | Annual Salary |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2023/24 | Arsenal (Sturm Graz) | £1,500 | £80,000 |
| 2022/23 | Arsenal (Crewe Alexandra) | £1,500 | £80,000 |
| 2021/22 | Arsenal | £1,500 | £80,000 |
Arthur Okonkwo is an English goalkeeper who plays for Arsenal. He has spent recent seasons out on loan for both Crewe Alexandra and Sturm Graz. The 22-year-old has also featured in youth games for England’s junior teams.
Okonkwo was born in London on 9th September 2001. His football career started when he joined Hampstead Academy as a child. Okonkwo subsequently moved to Arsenal Academy at the age of eight and has been affiliated with Arsenal ever since.
The remarkable youngster quickly rose through the team’s ranks. He made the bench for the under-18 team while he was still young enough to play for the under-fifteens. By the time he was 17, Okonkwo was already playing for Arsenal’s under-twenty-three squad.
In keeping up with his rapid ascension through Arsenal’s ranks, Arthur Okonkwo made the first team as a substitute goalkeeper before he turned nineteen. He became the third-choice goalkeeper during the 2019/2020 season. Okonkwo’s double save in a 2021 match against Brighton in the following season was considered one of the best saves of the season.
Okonkwo was officially signed to Arsenal’s senior team in July 2021. His debut match was a 2-1 loss to Hibernian.
Okonkwo was loaned out to Crewe Alexandra in July 2022. His first match for the EFL League Two side was a successful 2-1 victory. Okonkwo's talent shone through in the next match, where he helped Crewe Alexandra defeat Harrogate Town 3-0.
The English keeper made twenty-six appearances for Crewe Alexandra. Out of those twenty-six games, ten games were finished with opposing teams failing to score a single goal.
Arsenal recalled Okonkwo in order to loan him out to Sturm Graz in January 2023. He is set to stay in Austria until the end of the season.
Arthur Okonkwo qualifies to play for both Nigeria (through his parentage) and England’s national teams. While he still hasn’t made his choice, it’s worth noting that competition to be part of the English national squad is extremely fierce.
The Arsenal goalkeeper has however made appearances for England’s youth teams. He has played for the under-sixteens, under-seventeens, and under-eighteens respectively in a combined eleven games.
Standing at about 6 ft 6, Okonkwo is tall even for a keeper. Being left-footed makes him fairly unique among Premier League keepers.
He also has confidence and love for what he does. In the 21-year-old’s own words: "I tried playing outfield but it wasn’t for me. I enjoyed the thrill of making saves – the more spectacular the better."
