Highly rated Arsenal youngster Chidozie Obi Martin has left the club as a free agent. The Gunners recently announced their first-year scholars for the 2024/25 season, and the forward was notably absent from the list. Despite Arsenal’s efforts to retain the 16-year-old, who is highly rated by many top European clubs, the Dane ultimately decided to reject their contract proposals.
Chido Obi Martin: The next big thing
Born in Glostrup, Denmark in 2007, Chido Obi was part of Kjøbenhavns Boldklub’s (commonly known as KB) academy before being scouted and brought to Arsenal’s Hale End Academy at the age of 14. His immense talent was evident, and he soon found himself playing for the club’s under-18 team at just 15.
Chido Obi made headlines when he scored seven goals for the under-18 team in a 9-0 mauling of Norwich City. He finished the season with an impressive 32 goals in just 20 games.
Internationally, Chido Obi has represented both England and Denmark at youth levels, though he seems set to continue with Denmark. The 16-year-old has been lethal for the Denmark under-17 team, scoring 10 goals in 14 appearances. He was named in the UEFA under-17 Euros team of the tournament after scoring two goals to help Denmark reach the semifinals.
His international boss, Jesper Mikkelsen, recently praised the forward’s strengths: “When you look at Chido, he doesn’t look like someone who hasn’t turned 16 yet. First of all, he has a physique that is really advantageous as a football player. He is big and strong, but he is also reasonably agile. He is good at sticking to the game, but he is actually also good at challenging and dribbling himself.”
Chido Obi’s physicality helps him get on the end of more goal-scoring opportunities, and he possesses the technical abilities to convert those chances. His goal-scoring record speaks for itself.
Gunners Academy Loses Top Talent
Manchester United are currently the favourites to sign the youngster, with Chido Obi having visited their training facilities. There is also heavy interest from European giants like Bayern Munich and Borussia Dortmund.
His departure is a significant blow to the Gunners. Mikel Arteta is reportedly searching for a striker, and Obi Martin could have been a long-term solution. A good pathway for the Dane could have been to play him in the Premier League 2 for the upcoming season before introducing him to senior football at 18. Arsenal will need to better integrate their academy graduates into the first team to avoid losing their best talents in the future.
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