Arthur Okonkwo has received strong backing from Football League World pundit Liam Grice amid growing speculation linking the Super Eagles shot-stopper with a move away from Wrexham, Footynaija.com reports.
Okonkwo has emerged as a transfer target for Leicester City following another impressive campaign between the sticks for Wrexham.
The uncertainty surrounding his future has coincided with reports suggesting the Red Dragons could turn to Sunderland goalkeeper Anthony Patterson as a potential replacement should the Nigerian depart this summer.
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However, Grice is unconvinced that Patterson would represent an improvement on the former Arsenal goalkeeper.
“I’m personally not a fan,” Grice told Football League World. “I know Okwonko has his faults, but at the end of the day, he’s a very solid Championship keeper, in my opinion.
“Yeah, okay, maybe his distribution could be better, he has a mistake in him every now and again, but I don’t think Patterson is a clear upgrade.”
Grice fires Anthony Patterson warning at Wrexham
While acknowledging that Okonkwo is not without weaknesses, Grice argued that Wrexham would be better served sticking with a goalkeeper who has already proven himself at the club rather than pursuing a replacement whose qualities may not justify the investment.
“I know he’s played at the level before, and he’d performed well at the level before, but there’s a reason Sunderland haven’t taken a chance on him in the Premier League,” Grice said of Patterson.
“And if we’re serious about trying to make that step up then I don’t see why we’d go for a player who one of the promoted clubs deemed wasn’t good enough in the first place.”
Okonkwo initially joined Wrexham on loan from Arsenal in 2023 before making the move permanent a year later.
Since then, he has played a key role in the club’s remarkable rise through the divisions, helping the Red Dragons secure successive promotions and establish themselves as genuine Championship contenders.
With Wrexham preparing for another promotion push next season, Grice believes the club should retain faith in a goalkeeper who already understands the culture, dressing room, and demands of Phil Parkinson’s side rather than gamble on a replacement he does not view as a significant upgrade.
