West Ham's Irish-Nigerian striker clears the air on reports linking him to Sunderland

A day before the expiration of his contract at West Ham United, Republic of Ireland underage international of Nigerian descent, Armstrong Okoflex took to social media to rubbish speculation linking him with a move to Sunderland. 

Okoflex was pictured wearing a Sunderland jersey on Instagram, fueling speculation that a transfer to the Black Cats could be on the cards this summer. 

The Hale End Academy product is departing the Hammers after just one appearance for the first team, which came in a Europa Conference League match with Viborg in August 2022.

Overall, Okoflex received sixteen call ups for first team games during his time at West Ham, including eleven for Premier League games. 

The striker spent the first part of the 2022-2023 campaign at Swansea City but he didn't hit the heights expected of him and was recalled in the January transfer window after making only one start.

Okoflex explained that he was wearing the Sunderland jersey because he swapped it with another player of Nigerian descent Ajibola Alese, whom he knows from the defender's time at West Ham. 

Writing on Twitter, Okoflex said: "Sunderland's a great club but no I am not on trial there. It's a shirt I swapped with my ex teammate Alese. I was simply wearing it in off season training".

In his debut season at West Ham, Okoflex was the development squad's top scorer with 18 goals across 29 appearances in all competitions. 

West Ham have not triggered the one-year extension they held in the deal bringing him from Celtic in 2021.

Ifeanyi Emmanuel 

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