QPR should turn to Arsenal if Asmir Begovic departs: View | OneFootball

Queens Park Rangers empathetically confirmed their Championship status for next season with a 4-0 win over Leeds United.

The Rs have been struggling around the bottom of the table for most of the season, but Marti Cifuentes’ arrival has done wonders for the club, and they can now relax as they will be playing in the second tier once again.

The West London side have one game remaining this season, but with nothing riding on it, focus will soon start switching to this summer.

It will be expected that Cifuentes will want to make some necessary changes to his playing squad this summer, but one change may be forced upon him, as goalkeeper Asmir Begovic is being mentioned with a move to Scottish champions Celtic.

Celtic are interested in QPR’s Asmir Begovic

Goalkeeper Asmir Begovic only joined QPR in the summer after leaving Everton on a free transfer.

The 36-year-old joined the Championship outfit on a one-year deal, meaning if he were to extend his stay with QPR beyond this season, a new contract would need to be agreed upon.

The club’s chances of doing that may have just been weakened, as according to talkSPORT, Celtic are planning a move for the shotstopper once the season draws to an end.

Begovic has been so important for the Rs since he joined the club, starting every league game they have played so far, during which time he has kept 13 clean sheets.

It is believed that Begovic would be open to remaining at QPR, but no agreement has been reached yet between the club and the player.

Therefore, that has left the door open for other clubs to express their interest, and that is what Celtic have done, as they are on the lookout for a replacement for Joe Hart, who is set to retire at the end of the season.

So, QPR could potentially be on the lookout for a new goalkeeper this summer, and if that is the case, they should turn to Arsenal and sign Arhtur Okonkwo, after his exploits with Wrexham this season.

QPR should turn to Arsenal’s Arthur Okonkwo if Asmir Begovic departs

Queens Park Rangers may find themselves in a part of the market they don’t want to be in, as their ideal scenario would probably be keeping hold of Asmir Begovic for another season.

However, that isn’t guaranteed at this stage, so the club needs to be looking at potential replacements, and one player who may have put himself in the shop window is Arthur Okonkwo.

The goalkeeper has been on the books of Arsenal for a long time now, having come through their academy as well as their under-18 and under-23 teams.

Okonkwo spent the first half of the 2022/23 season on loan at Crewe Alexandra, and he then spent the second half of that campaign on loan at Sturm Graz in Austria.

It looked as though Okonkwo was going to spend at least the first half of this season with Arsenal; however, with League Two side Wrexham searching for a new goalkeeper, they decided to bring in the 22-year-old on a season-long loan deal.

It was an agreement that turned out to be excellent for all parties involved, as Wrexham got an excellent shotstopper in their ranks, the player played regular first-team football, and Arsenal saw their young talent featured heavily in the EFL.

Okonkwo had to be patient when he first joined the Red Dragons, but after being on the bench in his first three league games, he was soon given the nod to make his debut against Crewe.

From there on, Okonkwo was Wrexham’s number one choice in goal, with him starting all 36 games he was available for.

During those games, the goalkeeper made 107 saves, with him averaging three a game, which was 78% of the shots he faced. In those saves, Okonkwo also saved one of the three penalties he faced in League Two.

Furthermore, Okonkwo conceded just 30 goals during his time in a Wrexham shirt, with him conceding just 0.8 per game. The goalkeeper finished the League Two season keeping 14 clean sheets, was named in team of the week three times, and finished with a Sofascore statistical rating of 7.26.

Now, Okonkwo has never played in the Championship, and this is probably his first full season where he has truly excelled. But the 22-year-old has likely come on to the radar of a few clubs up and down the EFL, and QPR should be keeping a close eye on his development.

The Rs may need a new goalkeeper this summer, and Okonkwo could be a perfect replacement, as while he may lack experience, he has proven to be a very good goalkeeper and is likely going to be playing higher up the football pyramid if sent out on loan again.

Furthermore, signing a player like Okonkwo would save QPR money, as it would likely be another loan deal, meaning the Rs can focus the transfer money they do have on other areas of the team.