Chido Obi-Martin is a Man Utd-bound wonderkid – & they’re nabbing him from Arsenal
Manchester United are reportedly set to pull off a major transfer coup by signing highly-rated 16-year-old forward Chidozie Obi-Martin – AKA Chido Obi – from Arsenal.
The teenager’s next move is yet to be confirmed, but it appears all but certain that he’s set to depart boyhood club Arsenal in the coming days, with United waiting in the wings to offer him a favourable contract.
We’ve compiled everything you need to know about the rising star.
The story so far
Obi Martin was born to a Danish mother and Nigerian father in the town of Glostrup, just west of Copenhagen, in November 2007 – when Leona Lewis’ Bleeding Love was No.1 in the UK Charts.
He joined KB’s academy as a child before he moved to the United Kingdom and promptly joined Arsenal’s Hale End. Fast forward just a couple of years and he’s already made a name for himself as one of the brightest prospects in the Gunners’ academy, if not the whole country.
The forward has turned out both Denmark and England at Under-16 level and is once again representing Denmark, having notched 10 goals in 14 appearances for their Under-17s. Last November he made headlines when he scored ten goals – yes, TEN – as a 15-year-old in a 14-3 victory over Liverpool’s Under-16s.
Such was his meteoric rise at Hale End, the talented attacker was fast-tracked to turn out for the Arsenal’s Under-21s and has trained with Mikel Arteta’s first team.
“His progression is so profound that it actually makes you forget about his 10-goal haul, which is a huge compliment,” we wrote of Obi Martin back in March.
“Instead of being pigeon-holed, Obi has already forced his way out and is looking beyond that one moment.
“The next step is maturing physically and continuing to smash the glass ceiling above him, but don’t get it twisted – this was all part of the plan. One look at the way Arteta has slowly dipped Ethan Nwaneri in and out of the first team is testament to that.”
Everything remains nicely on track for the 16-year-old in terms of his development, but a new twist means that he’s set to continue his journey elsewhere.
The Athletic’s David Ornstein reports that Obi Martin has rejected a contract offer from his boyhood Gunners and has decided to move elsewhere.
His destination remains yet to be confirmed, with a number of clubs said to be chasing his signature. Media reports suggest that Manchester United are at the front of the queue; it might simply be a matter of time before he puts pen to paper at Old Trafford.
READ: Arsenal’s 10-goal teen sensation is smashing barriers & firing his way into Mikel Arteta’s vision
Style of play
The immediately striking thing about his physical stature, his 6’2″ frame making him stand out almost ludicrously at some of the youth levels he’s played at recent seasons, with that famous 10-goal haul against Liverpool reminiscent of your mate’s older brother taking the p*ss in the school playground.
A record of 32 goals in just 18 appearances in the Under-18s Premier League last season – including a seven-goal haul against Norwich, a five-goal haul against West Ham and four against both Crystal Palace and Fulham – is further testament to the sense that Chido Obi has progressed far beyond what’s expected at his age.
Unlike so many others his age, there ought to be little doubt that the step up in physicality will be a major issue when it comes to his inevitable break in senior football.
But there’s also a question of how he’ll far when you take away his obvious physical advantage, such is the age-old question when it comes to early-bloomer ballers.
He’s right-footed, a clinical finisher with great off-ball movement and attacking instincts in the final third.
His particular skillset – with the potential of becoming a complete modern centre-forward – has earned him comparisons to fellow Scandi wonderkid Alexander Isak, who was similarly prodigious as a 16-year-old breaking through at AIK.
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What’s been said
“Chido Obi-Martin, he’s 15, honestly, he’s like 6 foot 2, he looks really quick,” Arsenal legend Ian Wright recently noted.
“He always wanted to score goals, win and use his power,” Anders Lange, FC Copenhagen’s head of children’s football, told The Athletic.
“Sometimes it could be hard for him to play in his own age group and use that power in the right way because he was so big compared to the other guys.
“But playing up is not good for every boy. If they are smaller dribblers, having positive actions may not be as possible in older age groups.”
“While the 16-year-old’s physical attributes help set him apart, he still has a solid base level of technical ability,” observed Arsenal reporter Art de Roche in the same piece.
“The different types of finishes he has produced this season are evidence of that, from dinks over the goalkeeper, shots from tight angles, long range, those into the far corner and from the penalty spot.
“He has also shown good feet in tighter spaces despite being more comfortable with more room to exploit.”
“Right now he is really dominant because of his physique, but I don’t think that is the only reason,” Denmark Under-17 coach Jesper Mikkelsen told Bold.
“His greatest characteristic and challenge is that he really wants to score goals.
“When I say it can also be a disadvantage, I mean that he can sometimes play his own game. He is very searching for chances, where he forgets that you also have to play with the others.”