Manchester United are reportedly closing in on the signing of highly-rated teenage forward Chido Obi-Martin. The prolific 16-year-old rejected an offer to remain at Arsenal, with United fighting off interest from Bayern Munich.
Obi-Martin is extremely highly thought of, having scored a staggering 29 goals in only 17 matches in the U18 Premier League last season. Remarkably, he struck 10 times in one game for Arsenal’s U16s in a 14-3 triumph against their Liverpool counterparts.
According to the Mirror, United are confident of winning the race to sign Obi-Martin. It is claimed that he was given a tour of the club’s Carrington training facilities last week and an announcement over his future is imminent.
Arsenal offered the powerful forward a scholarship deal – the contract players have from age 16-18 – but he turned it down. Obi-Martin, who has been capped by Norway and England at youth level, believes his future lies elsewhere.
The Gunners will be due compensation for Obi-Martin under the Elite Player Performance Plan, but it is unlikely to be a significant amount given that he only arrived from Norwegian club KB in 2022.
“Thank you, Arsenal. I would like to express my heartfelt thanks to everybody at Arsenal for the last four years,” he wrote on Instagram earlier this week.
“The experiences and growth I’ve achieved here have been truly invaluable. A special thanks to the coaches, staff and team-mates at Hale End.”
Obi-Martin has been strongly linked with German giants Bayern but it seems that United may have won the race to sign him. It is likely that he would go into the Red Devils’ U18 squad for next season.
But he will head to Old Trafford as part of a productive summer transfer window for INEOS and Erik ten Hag. Around £86million has already been spent on new signings to ensure the Dutch head coach oversees a more successful Premier League season next term.
The highly-rated 18-year-old defender Leny Yoro has arrived in a £52m switch from Lille, with United managing to persuade the Frenchman to join them over Real Madrid. Dutch attacker Joshua Zirkzee has been signed from Bologna to add depth and versatility up front.
Ten Hag could only guide the Red Devils to an eight-place finish in the top-flight last campaign, but did finish the year with an FA Cup trophy. His squad was decimated by a deep and wide-ranging injury, an issue that United’s hierarchy are keen to avoid going forwards.
