Manchester United have no immediate plans to fast-track Chido Obi-Martin through the youth ranks despite his superb performances for the U18 side, MailOnline has revealed.
The Red Devils are reportedly cautious about placing too much pressure on the 16-year-old’s shoulders following his positive start, and he is not expected to have his development rushed by United, despite ‘wowing’ staff members.
Obi-Martin has impressed his Man United teammates and coaches with stellar performances recently, including a 15-minute hat-trick on his full debut against Nottingham Forest.
The former Arsenal forward opened the scoring just 14 seconds into the game, added his second four minutes later, and completed his hat-trick at the 15-minute mark.
Obi-Martin later made his debut for the U21s this week, starting against PSV U21s in the Premier League Internation Cup on Wednesday night.
His physical attributes are said to be overwhelming for opposition defences at the U18 level, and discussions about his promotion to the U21s had been ongoing since his first appearance for the Red Devils.
Obi-Martin turned down professional terms at the Emirates earlier this year before moving to Manchester in one of the standout youth transfers of the summer.
The move required time to finalise as compensation had to be agreed between the clubs, given that he is still just 16 years old, and the Premier League had to ratify the transfer.
Obi-Martin first came to prominence in November 2023 when he scored 10 goals in a single match, a 14-3 win over Liverpool’s U16s.
His goal-scoring record has attracted interest from many English and European clubs, after he netted 28 goals in just 17 league matches for Arsenal’s U18s last season.
The 16-year-old’s arrival was a major coup for United this summer, alongside fellow arrival Sekou Kone, who has been described as ‘the next Yaya Toure’.
Obi-Martin was also recently called up for Denmark’s U18s for the September international break, where he scored in a 5-3 win over Norway’s U17s.
Chido Obi-Martin’s Arsenal Stats (2023/24 U18 Premier League) | |
|---|---|
Games | 20 |
Goals | 32 |
Assists | 3 |
Minutes per goal | 47 |
Minutes played | 1,491 |
Statistics courtesy of Transfermarkt. Correct as of 31-10-24.