Rob McElhenney uses Michael Jordan analogy to explain impact of Arsenal loanee at Wrexham
Wrexham co-owner Rob McElhenney used a Michael Jordan analogy to explain football’s loan deals to their American fanbase.
The Red Dragons sealed the loan signing of Arsenal goalkeeper Arthur Okonkwo in September after Ben Foster called time on his career just five games into the season.
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With the transfer window still open, Wrexham settled on a youthful replacement and sounded out the 22-year-old for a season-long loan.
Having never made a competitive appearance for the Gunners, Okonkwo’s showreel came from previous loan spells at Crewe and Austrian side Sturm Graz.
Okonkwo’s switch to the Racecourse Ground proved to be a successful move for player and club.
He made 36 appearances for Wrexham in League Two, helping them achieve back-to-back promotions, with four clean sheets and just 28 goals conceded across the league season.
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Episode three on the latest season of 'Welcome to Wrexham' showed the young goalkeeper trying to play through a fractured jaw, endearing him to the Welsh faithful even more.
McElhenney was tasked to explain the concept of loan deals to an American audience during the latest episode of the documentary and used NBA legend Michael Jordan as a means to make sense of the market.
"He's a Premier League level keeper who just happens to be young and doesn't have a place on the Arsenal squad yet," McElhenney explained as the show aired in the UK on Disney+.
"It would be as if it's 1985 and the Chicago Bulls drafted Michael Jordan and they are like 'Well you're a 20-year-old kid'.
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"Then the Philadelphia 76ers were like 'Hey, guess what Chicago? We will just take him off your hands for like two or three years and then we'll just build him up because he can start with us and we can send him back to you'.
"Then he comes to Philly, wins like three championships and they're like 'Great, we're gonna start a dynasty' but then Chicago are like 'F*** off we're taking him back'. That's exactly what it is!"
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Okonkwo is out of contract at the Emirates Stadium this summer and with the Gunners currently well stacked for goalkeepers, his Wrexham adventure might not be over just yet.
"I haven’t looked too much into things at the moment," Okonkwo told The Athletic. "But I will, very soon. It is about looking at all my opportunities and seeing which is the best for me. I’ve loved it at Wrexham and they will stay in my heart forever."