In Milan, many remember when Noah Okafor first captured their attention. It was in September 2022 that Okafor, while playing for Red Bull Salzburg, executed a remarkable double nutmeg by slipping the ball through Pierre Kalulu’s legs and then scoring past the goalkeeper, Mike Maignan.

A week later, Okafor equalised for Salzburg against Chelsea at Stamford Bridge.

‘Mike claimed it was just luck since the ball went through his legs, but regarding the maneuver around Kalulu, there was no doubt. I aimed for it,’ Okafor recounted to La Gazzetta the following summer after Milan secured his signing for £13.4 million.

‘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.

This Saturday, Okafor and James are likely to face off on opposite wings for Leeds, as the Swiss international joined Daniel Farke’s squad in an £18 million deal agreed 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 heading back to Tottenham after his loan, Leeds aimed to enhance their left wing. Missing out on Igor Paixao, who chose Marseille over Leeds’ £28 million offer, they instead targeted Okafor.

‘Dublin wasn’t the first time I spotted Noah’s strong potential. But delivering a great performance in a friendly certainly doesn’t harm your prospects of joining a club,’ stated Farke.

‘He delivered an impressive game against us, but it wasn’t a shock. Although it was by chance we faced Milan, he had been on our radar beforehand.’

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.

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.

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.

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.’