Welcome to Wrexham show brutal jaw injury suffered by Arsenal goalkeeper Arthur Okonkwo as X-ray exposes huge bone crack under his mouth that needed surgery

The 22-year-old, who joined the Red Dragons from Premier League giants Arsenal, took a heavy blow to his face during a League Two clash with Harrogate on November 28. He was forced back to north London for treatment and missed almost a month of action.

Okonkwo returned to Wrexham with a protective brace in place, allowing him to rejoin a promotion bid that ultimately delivered a runners-up finish. He joined the party in Las Vegas since then, which was funded by Hollywood co-owners Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney.

He is fully recovered from the knock that threatened to derail a promising campaign, with the Welcome to Wrexham documentary series showing how serious his injury was. X-rays taken at the time picked up a giant crack that ran from Okonkwo’s bottom row of teeth and underneath his jaw.

Wrexham had been hoping that a deal could be done that kept Okonkwo on their books for 2024-25 – as they step up into League One. He may prove to be out of reach for Phil Parkinson’s side, with interest building as he prepares to sever ties with Arsenal as a free agent.