Arthur Okonkwo has travelled with the Arsenal first team to Italy for the Europa League quarter-final second leg, after an impressive start to his u23 career in recent weeks.

Okonkwo is just 17 years old, but he’s making a rapid rise through the youth ranks. Before this season he’d only made two appearances for the u18s, but he’s since gone on to become a starter, and recently he’s stepped up again to play for the u23s.

He kept a clean sheet on his u23 debut against West Ham, then another in his second game against Derby, but his resistance was finally broken in a 3-1 victory over Chelsea, despite a number of impressive saves throughout the match.

One goal conceded in three games is still a great record though, and the youngster has clearly caught Unai Emery’s eye. He’s regularly joined first-team training in England, he travelled with the squad to Dubai, and now he’s part of the extended senior squad to face Napoli.

It’s unlikely Okonkwo will make the final 18, with Bernd Leno and Petr Cech ahead of him. Still, it should be a great experience for him, and any pre-match injuries would see him called up to the bench for a European quarter-final! Let’s hope it’s a positive trip for the youngster.