Wrexham goalkeeper Arthur Okonkwo has held Nigeria talks as international switch on offer
Wrexham were one of few League One teams in action during the international break but there could be issues on that front down the line.
The first international break of the season is coming to an end, but it hasn’t really impacted Wrexham.
Phil Parkinson was able to field a side against Shrewsbury Town on Saturday with Wrexham claiming a 3-0 victory.
Several other clubs had their games postponed due to international call-ups, something Wrexham manage to avoid.
This may become a bigger issue in the future though.
Jacob Mendy and uncapped Modou Faal will be in contention for The Gambia whilst new signing Josh Adam will surely have chances for the Scotland Under-21’s.
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Nigeria hold talks with Wrexham’s Arthur Okonkwo
Then there is Arthur Okonkwo.
The Wrexham goalkeeper has enjoyed a stunning start to the season after signing on a permanent basis over the summer.
Wrexham have kept four clean sheets in a row in League One with Okonkwo earning praise for his displays.
Okonkwo hails from London and has picked up 10 caps for England from Under-16 to Under-18 levels.
Now 23, Okonkwo hasn’t been in the England setup for five years.
That is of real interest to Nigeria; Okonkwo qualifies to play for the Super Eagles through his Nigerian parents.
All Nigeria Soccer now claim that Nigeria have held ‘multiple’ rounds of talks with Okonkwo to discuss a potential switch.
Technical director and interim manager Augustine Eguavoen is claimed to be pushing for Okonkwo to accept a Nigeria call-up.
It’s stated that Nigeria have looked at Okonkwo in the past but former boss Gernot Rohr allegedly felt that he wasn’t ready for international football.
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Okonkwo faces tough decision
Okonkwo has commented on his international status in recent times.
Speaking in May, Okonkwo admitted his ambition to play international football but hadn’t decided on England or Nigeria.
England do already have a number of goalkeepers, including Jordan Pickford, Nick Pope, Aaron Ramsdale, Dean Henderson, Sam Johnstone and James Trafford.
There are also high hopes for younger stoppers James Beadle, Carl Rushworth, Anthony Patterson and Matthew Cox.
Nigeria’s goalkeeping options aren’t quite so deep; Udinese stopper Maduka Okoye and Chippa United’s Stanley Nwabili are their main two stoppers.
Okonkwo may believe that he can really kick on and become Nigeria’s number one in the coming years, but few would really blame him if he aimed for the stars and committed to England.
Wrexham have given Okonkwo a platform to shine but that may now come with international commitments – and potentially some postponed fixtures to come.
