Arsenal confirm goalkeeper leaving on loan | OneFootball

Arsenal deals & transfers January 2025

Arsenal youth goalkeeper Brian Okonkwo is returning to Hitchin Town for another loan spell, with the clubs confirming a deal lasting until the end of the season.

Photo via Arsenal.com

Arsenal have announced that Brian Okonkwo has joined non-league side Hitchin Town on loan for the remainder of the season. It’s technically Okonkwo’s second spell at the club, though he only played one match the first time around.

In that case, Okonkwo was needed on an emergency basis for a single game, and he helped the team to a 1-1 draw. Though he didn’t keep a clean sheet, he was praised by the manager afterwards.

This time, Okonkwo will hope to get a run of games, given he’ll remain with Hitchin Town until May.

Photo via Hitchin Town FC on Twitter

Hitchin Town wrote in their announcement that they owed “huge thanks to Arsenal for getting this loan completed yesterday (on Friday)”. The implication is that Hitchin were looking for a goalkeeper in time for their match this weekend, facing Stourbridge in the 3pm kick-off on Saturday.

Whether Okonkwo will jump straight into the starting lineup or make the bench remains to be seen.

The 19-year-old has made four appearances for the Arsenal u21s this season, struggling for games given the large quantity of youth goalkeepers on the books at the moment.

Photo via Hitchin Town FC on Twitter

Tommy Setford and Lucas Nygaard joined over the summer, and Okonkwo already faced competition from Alexei Rojas in his own age group. Then recent first-team debutant Jack Porter has also been making the step up despite only turning 16 in the summer.

It’s not surprising if Okonkwo and Arsenal felt the best way for him to get regular minutes would be to go out on loan.

As it stands, Okonkwo is the only Arsenal youth player on loan, following Charles Sagoe Jr.’s early recall last month.