Leeds United Transfer Target: Who is Noah Okafor

Over the last few days, Leeds United have been linked to AC Milan attacker Noah Okafor and are looking to make him the clubs ninth signing of the summer.

Reliable journalist Fabrizio Romano revealed via X, that Leeds United have submitted an official proposal worth over £17 million for the 25 year old. Whites manager Daniel Farke is pushing to get the deal over the line.

• Who is Noah Okafor?

Noah Okafor, born 24 May 2000 in Binningen, Switzerland, is a professional footballer known for his pace, versatility, and technical ability. He began his football journey at a young age with local side FC Arisdorf before joining the youth academy of FC Basel, where he quickly rose through the ranks. On 31 January 2018, Okafor signed his first professional contract with the club.

After impressing for the Swiss side, Okafor gained a lot of interest from a host of European sides. On 31 January 2020, Okafor signed for Austrian side Red Bull Salzburg. Okafor featured on 110 different occasions scoring 34 goals and assisting 18 times. With his exciting displays in the Austrian Bundesliga and the UEFA Champions League, Okafor earned himself a move to European giants AC Milan in 2023.

• What can Noah Okafor bring to Leeds United?

Noah Okafor is a player who is known for his versatility, throughout his career he has been deployed in a number of roles in attack and has performed well in each of them.

In his club football career, Okafor has been deployed as a left-winger on 86 different occasions, as a striker 79 times and as a right-winger 40 times, as well as operating as a second striker on a number of occasions too.

Daniel Farke is a manager who likes having a number of versatile players, whether it was former player Archie Gray or new signing Anton Stach - the ability to play in multiple positions is attractive to the German.

Versatility is important in modern day football and for Farke, with the constant changes of tactical shape and the demands of different oppositions in the Premier League, expect Okafor to be used in a number of different positions for Leeds United.

In terms of technical ability, Okafor stands out for his great ability to beat his man in 1-on-1 situations. His electric and quick feet, coupled with his high range of skills, make him unstoppable in tight spaces. He has shown at Salzburg that he can be quite impressive for being clinical and ruthless, being able to score with both feet and headers, although the latter may be the weakest aspect of his game.

Also noteworthy, was his contribution off the ball both offensively and defensively. Playing for a team like Salzburg, who want to press forward and counter-press after losing the ball, his high work rate and determination to go after his man were vital for the way Salzburg played football.

This all sounds perfect for both the Premier League and Daniel Farke, however, Okafor since his Salzburg days has had an inconsistent amount of football mainly due to his constant injuries. He has shown flashes of his talent at AC Milan but nowhere near enough.

If Okafor can get regular gametime and manage to stay fit, Farke will have a player who is made to thrive in his system and the Premier League.

Despite having an underwhelming time at AC Milan, Okafor has participated in pre-season for the Italian side this season and has managed to stay fit throughout. He featured in 4 pre season games for the Italian side and managed to score 4 goals and assist once. 2 of the 4 goals came against Premier League champions Liverpool showing his ability to score against one of Europe's best.

Okafor also played 90 minutes against United in a pre season game earlier in August. Despite not scoring or assisting in the game, Okafor showed the Leeds fans what he can bring to their side, some key stats from his performance include:

• 20/21 accurate passes (95%)
• 100% dribble success which was the most of any player
• 3/3 accurate long passes
• Okafor was the most fouled player on the pitch

However, some other stats may be more intriguing for the Leeds fans. Okafor showed in the match his work rate and his willingness to defend to help the team get a positive result, which is vital when playing in the Premier League. In the match against Leeds United, Okafor had:

• 1 clearance
• 1 headed clearance
• 3 recoveries
• 4/6 ground duels won (67%)
• 100% aerial duels won

[Numbers via FotMob]

• Injury struggles poses as main obstacle

Unfortunately Noah Okafor has had a career where injuries have affected his game time and progression as a footballer. Both at Salzburg and AC Milan, the Swiss attacker has suffered from countless injuries that have kept him out for months of the seasons. With the demands of the Premier League, this will be a worry for Farke and the Leeds fans. There is no denying that a fully fit and healthy Noah Okafor can be a game changer, but if we can see that for a full season is another question.

[Data via Transfermarkt]