Those in Milan remember the moment that Noah Okafor first came to their attention. It was September 2022 and Okafor, who played for Red Bull Salzburg at the time, scored a double nutmag goal that the ball through the legs of Pierre Kalulu and ended by goalkeeper Mike Maignan.
A week later, Okafor equalized for Salzburg against Chelsea at Stamford Bridge.
'Mike told me it was happiness because the ball went through his leg, but there is no doubt with the dribble along Kalulu. I was looking for it, “Okafor told La Gazzetta the next summer after Milan signed him for £ 13.4 million.
For the Leeds players it was only two weeks ago when they met Okafor in a friendly in Dublin when they first got a glimpse of the 25-year-old.
“The boys said after the game that he is a very good player, not knowing that he would sign here two weeks later,” James told the BBC.
This Saturday Okafor and James may play on opposite wings for Leeds after the Swiss International signed in front of Daniel Farke in a deal worth £ 18 million on Thursday.
Without the knowledge of the players, the Leeds – Hierarchy Okafor had monitored all summer – even if he was not their number one choice from the start.
With Manor Solomon who returned to Tottenham after the end of his loan, the left wing was a position where Leeds wanted more quality. When they failed in their pursuit of Igor Paixao, who chose Marseille despite the £ 28 million offer from Leeds, they turned to Okafor.
'Dublin was not the first time I recognized Noah as a player with a great potential. But if you deliver a good achievement in a friendly one, then it will never be negative for your chances of drawing for a club, “Farke said.
“He had a really good game (against) us, but it was no surprise. It was a coincidence that we played against Milan, but he was already on our list from the past. '
In the aftermath of that match, Farke emphasized the necessity of more signing sessions, and insisted that his attack had not improved the front line that Leeds fired to the championship title last season.
Behind the scenes there were already conversations between Okafor and Leeds. The conversations started before the Milan game, but the formal offer was then made. Since then, Leeds has also added Dominic Calvert-Lewin to their ranks.
With Calvert-Lewin the reason is clear: if he can stay fit, then Leeds has a proven Premier League center at their disposal.
Consistency is what Leeds is also looking for with Okafor. Their recruitment team believes that his experience means that he is a risk that it is worth taking, despite missing 27 games in the past two seasons due to injuries.
Okafor only made seven starts since he moved to Milan in 2023 and Antonio Conte on loan to Napoli during the second half of last season, where he only played 36 minutes in four performances. That only came about after his move to RB Leipzig in January fell due to a failed medical one.
But during his time in the Serie A with Milan, he took on average a target involvement every 142 minutes, which shows that he can deliver at the highest level and at big moments. A strong preseason, including scoring a brace against Liverpool, can only be a reason for optimism.
“In Milan he had this heroic status for scoring late goals when we needed and showed that he was a player for the big moments,” a source in Milan tells Mail Sport. “But in the end we had Rafael Leao in the position that is a top player.”
Interestingly, Paulo Fonseca who managed Milan at the beginning of last season, initially preferred Okafor to Leao because of his energy and the way he went back. That said, Okafor is extremely close to Leao, with their relationship described as twins.
For the national team it was during the qualifications of the World Cup 2022 where Okafor made his name when he scored the opening goal in the victory that insured the place of Switzerland in Qatar.
There is a story about how he was asked to give an interview to the broadcasters and the answer from Okafor was: “I'm shy, do I have to?” He was told that it was a privilege that for once they did not ask for Xherdan Shaqiri or Granit Xhaka.
That shy nature, however, is strictly outside the field. Those within the Swiss setup describe him as someone who is not the loudest in the dressing room, but is certain of his capacities and confident on the field. 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 will not be afraid of trying to make things happen. Known for its pace and ability to beat defenders, on average 4.2 dribbles per 90 minutes last season – although less than half that were successful.
“My favorite position is on the left wing, but I can play as a striker,” Okafor holds full. “But the left wing is where I have the most quality on the field and the team can help.”
His versatility is partly the reason why Leeds wanted him. With Wilfried Gnonto, Jack Harrison and Largie Ramazani all able to play on the left, it is still to be seen whether Okafor can make that position of himself.
But in a World Cup year it is clear that he will want to play regularly and add to his 24 international caps, the last of which came in November.
Wednesday was full for Okafor, who flew to the UK to complete his medical and all formalities of the deal before he trained with his new teammates on Thursday on Thursday.
He is expected to make his debut on Saturday when Leeds travel to Arsenal on Saturday, before he will get his first taste of the Elland Road atmosphere against Newcastle next weekend.
Much has been said about Leeds' recruitment strategy this summer, where the hierarchy uses videos of the atmosphere during presentations to players. Okafor didn't need that.
He 'loved' seeing Leeds beating Everton on Monday, but it was in Dublin that day for more than 50,000 leeds fans where the club really struck him
“I belonged to what the f ***, how many fans?” He remembered in his interview after singing. 'As a child I dreamed of playing in the Premier League. That is why it was a fairly easy decision for me. So I said, yes, my football fits the Premier League, this is like a dream come true. I can't wait to board the field. '