Those in Milan recall the moment Noah Okafor first came to their attention. It was September 2022 and Okafor, who was playing for Red Bull Salzburg at the time, scored a double nutmeg goal putting the ball through Pierre Kalulu’s legs and finishing past goalkeeper Mike Maignan.
A week later, Okafor equalised for Salzburg against Chelsea at Stamford Bridge.
‘Mike told me it was luck because the ball went through his leg but with the dribble past Kalulu, there is no question. I was looking for it,’ Okafor told La Gazzetta the following summer after Milan signed him for £13.4million.
For the Leeds players, it was only two weeks ago when they came up against Okafor in a friendly in Dublin when they first got a glimpse of the 25-year-old.
‘The boys were saying after the game that he’s a very good player, not knowing that he’d sign here two weeks later,’ Dan James told the BBC.
Come Saturday, Okafor and James may well be playing on opposite wings for Leeds after the Swiss international signed for Daniel Farke’s side in a deal worth £18m on Thursday.
Unbeknown to the players, the Leeds hierarchy had kept an eye on Okafor all summer – even if he wasn’t their number one choice from the outset.
With Manor Solomon returning to Tottenham after the end of his loan, left wing was a position where Leeds wanted more quality. When they failed in their pursuit of Igor Paixao, who opted for Marseille despite Leeds’ £28m bid, they turned to Okafor.
Winger Noah Okafor joined Leeds from AC Milan for £18million on Thursday
The attacker played against Leeds in a pre-season friendly in Dublin earlier this month
‘Dublin wasn’t the first time that I recognised Noah as a player with big potential. But if you deliver a good performance in a friendly, then it’s never going to be negative to your chances of signing for a club,’ said Farke.
‘He had a really good game (against) us but it wasn’t a surprise. It was a coincidence that we played against Milan but he was already on our list from before.’
In the aftermath of that game, Farke emphasised the need for more signings, insisting his attack hadn’t improved from the frontline that fired Leeds to the Championship title last season.
Behind the scenes, talks were already underway between Okafor and Leeds. The conversations started before the Milan game but the formal offer was made after. Since then, Leeds have also added Dominic Calvert-Lewin to their ranks.
With Calvert-Lewin, the rationale is clear: if he can stay fit, then Leeds have a proven Premier League centre forward at their disposal.
Okafor played 54 times and scored seven goals during his two seasons with Milan
He was part of the Milan squad which won the Italian Super Cup last season
Consistency is what Leeds are after with Okafor too. Their recruitment team believes his experience means he is a risk worth taking, despite missing 27 matches over the past two seasons due to injuries.
Okafor made just seven starts since moving to Milan in 2023 and Antonio Conte took him on loan to Napoli during the second half of last season, where he only played 36 minutes across four appearances. That only came about after his move to RB Leipzig fell through in January due to a failed medical.
But across his time in Serie A with Milan, he averaged a goal involvement every 142 minutes, showing he can deliver at the top level and in big moments. A strong pre-season, including scoring a brace against Liverpool, can only be reason for optimism.
‘In Milan, he had this hero-like status for scoring late goals whenever we needed and he showed that he was a player for the big moments,’ a Milan source tells Mail Sport. ‘But in the end, we had Rafael Leao in the position who is a top player.’
Interestingly, Paulo Fonseca who managed Milan at the start of last season initially preferred Okafor over Leao because of his energy and the way he tracked back. That said, Okafor is extremely close to Leao, with their relationship described as being like twins.
For the national team, it was during the 2022 World Cup qualifiers where Okafor made his name when he scored the opening goal in the win that secured Switzerland’s place in Qatar.
Okafor in action for Red Bull Salzburg against Chelsea in the Champions League in 2022
Leeds boss Daniel Farke was keen to strengthen his attacking options this summer
There’s a tale of how he was asked to give an interview to the broadcasters after and Okafor’s response was: ‘I’m shy, do I have to?’ He was told that it was a privilege that for once they weren’t asking for Xherdan Shaqiri or Granit Xhaka.
That shy nature is strictly off the pitch though. Those within the Swiss setup describe him as someone who isn’t the loudest in the dressing room but is sure about his abilities and confident on the pitch. He has a tattoo on his leg that says ‘be your own hero’ and has used a mental coach since he was a teenager.
Okafor is a player who won’t be afraid to try and make things happen. Known for his pace and ability to beat defenders, he averaged 4.2 dribbles per 90 minutes last season – though fewer than half those were successful.
‘My favourite position is on the left wing but I can play as a striker,’ Okafor insists. ‘But the left wing is where I have the most quality on the pitch and can help the team.’
His versatility is partly why Leeds wanted him. With Wilfried Gnonto, Jack Harrison and Largie Ramazani all capable of playing down the left, it remains to be seen whether Okafor can make that position his own.
But in a World Cup year, it’s clear that he will be looking to play regularly and add to his 24 international caps, the last of which came in November.
Wednesday was full on for Okafor, who flew to the UK to complete his medical and all the formalities of the deal before training with his new teammates for the first time on Thursday.
Okafor (right) struck up a close relationship with Milan team-mate Rafael Leao during their time together in Italy
He is expected to make his debut when Leeds travel to Arsenal on Saturday, before getting his first taste of the Elland Road atmosphere next weekend against Newcastle.
Much has been said of Leeds’ recruitment strategy this summer, with the hierarchy using videos of the atmosphere during presentations to players. Okafor didn’t need that.
He ‘loved’ seeing Leeds beat Everton on Monday but it was that day in Dublin in front of over 50,000 Leeds fans where the size of the club really struck him
‘I was like what the f***, how many fans?’ he recalled in his interview after singing. ‘As a kid, I dreamed of playing in the Premier League. That’s why for me it was quite an easy decision. So I said, yeah, my football suits the Premier League, this is like a dream come true. I can’t wait to step on the field.’
