Wrexham AFC: Phil Parkinson should raid Sunderland if Arsenal replacement is needed - View | OneFootball

Holding onto star players is a problem which has rarely troubled Wrexham AFC since their takeover by Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney.

However, the Red Dragons are now in uncharted waters under the Hollywood regime as they face stiff competition to secure the signature of goalkeeper Arthur Okonkwo.

The Arsenal loanee was highly impressive between the sticks during the 2023/24 season, keeping 14 clean sheets in 36 league appearances as the North Wales club secured back-to-back promotions for the first time in its history.

It resulted in the 22-year-old being named in the League Two Team of the Year at the EFL awards, with Wrexham said to be keen on signing him on a permanent basis.

With his contract at the Gunners due to run out this summer, the Daily Mail reports that Okonkwo is also attracting interest from Premier League and Championship sides.

As doubts persist over whether he will remain at Wrexham, Phil Parkinson could be forced to look elsewhere to find a new first-choice keeper.

If the manager does have to switch focus, then he could do a lot worse than look to raid his former club Sunderland for another stopper who stood out in League Two this season.

Alex Bass could be a fantastic alternative for Wrexham

Alex Bass is another keeper who was in fine form this season, keeping 16 clean sheets in 44 appearances for AFC Wimbledon in League Two.

This put him second only behind Ben Hinchcliffe, who achieved 17 shutouts for title winners Stockport County.

The 26-year-old was loaned out by the Black Cats in July last year and has helped to shore up a Dons' defence which was previously conceding too many goals.

While the south London side narrowly missed out on the play-offs, Bass was one of their star performers.

As per FBRef, he ranked seventh in terms of saves made this term with 110 compared to Okonkwo's 107.

While the Arsenal loanee has the better save percentage of 79.1 per cent, Bass still rates highly at 70.5 per cent and is at a good age to continue improving at 26.

Assessing his performance, AFC Wimbledon reporter Edmund Brack told the Sunderland Echo: “Without doubt Alex Bass has been one of AFC Wimbledon’s most important players of the season.

“He is the only player to have featured in every single minute of the League Two campaign and has firmly established himself as the first choice from the first few weeks of the season.

“The most noticeable characteristic Bass has displayed at Plough Lane is his professionalism - the way he conducts his job is almost seamless, week in, week out.”

Keeper's situation at Sunderland suggests deal is possible

Sunderland's number one, Anthony Patterson, has been a regular fixture in the Championship this term, appearing in every league game and keeping 13 clean sheets.

Meanwhile, Nathan Bishop has been kept as a back-up option on the bench, meaning Bass has been forced to look elsewhere for first team football after making only two appearances for the club in cup competitions.

He currently has another year on his contract, so now would be a good time for the Black Cats to cash in, although they do have an option to extend his deal for a further 12 months.

He presents an attractive option for Wrexham in that he is unlikely to command wages as high as Arsenal youth product Okonkwo, who is also reported to be attracting interest from teams in Europe following a successful spell on loan in Austria at Sturm Graz in 2023.

Bass already has experience of playing in League One, having appeared 18 times for Portsmouth, where he came up through the youth system.

This could prove handy for the Red Dragons in their first campaign back in the division in around 20 years.

AFC Wimbledon themselves could provide competition for his signature, but do not have the same spending power as Wrexham and are now a league below them.

Dons reporter Brack alluded to this himself when asked about the prospect of the club re-signing Bass, as he said, via Sunderland Echo: “I'm sure they would love to, but it will be tough. Bass is one of - if not the - best goalkeeper in the division.

“His level of performance would not have gone amiss higher up the pyramid.”

Finding a decent starting goalkeeper is important for any club, as Wrexham will know from their early days in League Two.

The shock departure of Ben Foster in August, as he announced he would be retiring from football for a second time, followed a shaky start in which the Red Dragons conceded 13 goals in their opening four games.

Thankfully for them, they were able to secure Okonkwo's services on loan at short notice.

With such ringing endorsements from those who have watched him this season, Bass is definitely someone Parkinson should consider if Wrexham fail in their bid to re-sign the Arsenal man this summer.