ANDREW EKEJIUBA
Italian-born Nigerian defensive midfielder Temple Ojinnaka has inked a two-year scholarship deal with Wolves and will be aiming to sign a professional deal on or before the expiration of his apprenticeship.
The Italian-Nigerian teenager was recommended to Wolverhampton Wanderers academy chiefs by long-time head of local recruitment Bob Bennett while he was playing district football in the Wolverhampton area.
Though Ojinnaka came to Wolves at the age of 12, it took a long time to get his registration sorted out and he started playing games for the club eighteen months later.
Last season, the highly-rated midfielder recorded sixteen appearances in the U18 Premier League whilst still a schoolboy, and opened his account in the division against Middlesbrough U18s back in April.
Ojinnaka has been described as a ‘very powerful defensive midfielder who links and connects play up the pitch and an enthusiastic learner’.
Meanwhile, Arsenal’s pre-season tour to the United States has been cancelled after positive coronavirus cases at the club, as Anglo-Nigerian youngsters Folarin Balogun and Arthur Okonkwo were expected to be on the plane to the United States on Wednesday before the botched trip.
The striker and goalkeeper were part of the group that trained in Scotland last week and participated in the two friendlies against Hibernian and Glasgow Rangers.
Mikel Arteta’s men will not be able to face Inter Milan in the Florida Cup this Sunday, so now the club is working to arrange new pre-season friendlies.
“Following a small number of positive COVID tests among the planned party to travel to America, we have sadly been forced to withdraw from the Florida Cup,” Arsenal said in a statement.
“This difficult decision is based on ensuring the health and wellbeing of our players and staff.
“We fully understand what a disappointment this is for our supporters in America who were looking forward to seeing us compete in the Florida Cup as part of our pre-season build up.
“Our apologies also go to the organisers of the Florida Cup who had done a fantastic job making the preparations and our partners who had arranged events around our participation in the competition.”
Balogun and Okonkwo have been promoted to Arsenal first team on a permanent basis ahead of the start of the 2021-2022 season and allocated the number 26 and 33 jersey respectively.