Manchester United are reportedly exploring a deal to sign talented prospect Chido Obi-Martin. The forward’s contract with Arsenal recently expired, though his boyhood side are keen to retain his services.
Sir Jim Ratcliffe is eager to make his mark at Old Trafford this summer and has already made two marquee signings.
The Red Devils have bolstered their forward line with the signing of Joshua Zirkzee, with Leny Yoro also arriving from Lille to inject quality into United’s defence.
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However, United’s sole focus does not appear to be purely on improving their first-team options. They are also looking to inject further quality into their academy, with The Athletic reporting that conversations have been held with teenage star Obi-Martin.
The striker recently became available after opting against signing a scholarship with Arsenal, his boyhood club. The Gunners were desperate to retain the services of the 16-year-old and made him what they felt was a ‘fair offer’ but Obi-Martin opted to move on.
The Denmark youth international has reportedly now travelled to Carrington to hold talks with United over a potential move, though those discussions are at an ‘early stage’ and other top clubs are interested in acquiring his services as well. Manchester City are not among his suitors, however.
Obi-Martin joined Arsenal from Danish outfit KB in 2022 and immediately hit the ground running in north London. He scored an astonishing 10 goals for Arsenal’s Under-16s in their 14-3 victory over Liverpool last year in a performance that caught the eye of top clubs around Europe.
The forward then moved up to Under-18 level, and he took that step-up in his stride as well. Obi-Martin bagged four goals against Crystal Palace and then against Fulham before finding the back of the net on five occasions against West Ham.
The talented teen was unable to replicate his 10-goal performance against Norwich City last season, being forced to settle for only seven goals in that game.
United will be hoping that Erik ten Hag’s willingness to give young players an opportunity in the first-team, as shown by the respective rises of Kobbie Mainoo and Alejandro Garnacho, will persuade Obi-Martin to put pen to paper with the club this summer, especially with Ratcliffe putting plenty of emphasis on bringing the average age of the squad down.
