In a recent report, Fichajes stated that Arsenal are hoping to land Red Bull Salzburg forward Noah Okafor next summer. It is understood that the Gunners have identified the Swiss centre-forward as a target for the next summer transfer window.
Okafor’s Decent Numbers In European Football This Season
Okafor has made an impressive start to this campaign as he has put in a series of fruitful displays as the focal point of Salzburg’s attack. The 22-year-old has found the back of the net nine times and earned two assists in 19 appearances for the Austrian club this season in various competitions.
The Binningen-born talent has caught the eye with his performances in Europe where he is averaging 2.2 shots, 0.8 key passes and 0.8 dribbles per 90 minutes in the UEFA Champions League. However, he needs to improve his link-up play in the final third as he has only completed 73.2% of his attempted passes in European football (stats via whoscored).
Okafor’s current contract with the Austrian outfit is set to expire in the summer of 2024. Therefore, Arsenal might have a good chance of landing him on the cheap at the end of this campaign.
Should Arsenal Boss Mikel Arteta Snap Okafor Up?
Okafor can create a yard of space for himself to get a few shots in on-target and has got the vision to make a few meaningful chances for his teammates in the opponent’s half. He is quite clever with his movements in and around the opposition penalty box and can even use his strong 1.85m frame to hold possession up for his team.
A striker of Okafor’s quality will no doubt be a clever acquisition for the Gunners as he is good enough to rival Gabriel Jesus and Eddie Nketiah for a regular starting spot at the Emirates Stadium in the coming seasons.
We can expect Okafor to add more firepower to Mikel Arteta‘s attack and could even help the North London club challenge for some top honours over the next decade. At 22, the future is quite promising for the Swiss striker as long as he continues to develop his all-around game with each season. Thus, it is only logical for Arteta to try everything in his power to snap Okafor up at the end of this campaign. However, only time will tell whether the Salzburg attacker has what it takes to cope with the physical nature and high intensity of Premier League football.
