Chido Obi-Martin finally seals Man Utd transfer and reveals next steps towards first-team
Manchester United have at last completed the signing of former Arsenal wonderkid Chido Obi-Martin, fending off competition from around Europe to win the race for the 16-year-old's signature
by Nathan Ridley · The MirrorManchester United can finally call Chido Obi-Martin one of their own - and he's already relishing life in the Red Devils' first-team.
Obi-Martin, 16, chose to leave Premier League rivals Arsenal this summer and had the eyes of Europe on him after smashing records left, right and centre in the Gunners' academy. The Danish sensation notably scored 10 goals in Arsenal's 14-3 win over Liverpool at under-16 level last November and then struck a whopping 28 times in just 10 games for the Gunners' U18s between March and May.
But after turning down a professional contract in north London, Obi-Martin had the pick of some of Europe's biggest clubs. Newcastle, Bayern Munich and Borussia Dortmund were reportedly among the big-name teams who tried their luck before United won the race for his signature.
But it hasn't been easy for the Red Devils, as they've had to wait weeks for his signing to be made official. Negotiations were dragged out as compensation had to be agreed between United and Arsenal, plus the Premier League needed to ratify the transfer.
Now United have their man (or boy) and he's ready to get started. "Very happy to sign with this amazing club, time to focus and achieve all my dreams," the former Arsenal starlet posted on social media alongside images of him signing his contract and him as a child wearing a counterfeit United shirt.
"Thanks to everyone who has helped me get this far."
Obi-Martin is expected to begin his journey at Old Trafford by playing for United's U18s. He recently visited the 20-time English champions' training complex at Carrington to sign his pro deal, with a view to representing the first-team in the near future.
Born in the Danish town of Glostrup, near Copenhagen, Obi-Martin has represented both Denmark and England at youth international level. He did, however, feature for the Danes at this year's Euro U17 tournament.
Get involved! When should Chido Obi-Martin go into Man Utd's first-team? Have your say in the comments section.
United already have two senior Denmark internationals in their first-team squad, midfielder Christian Eriksen and striker Rasmus Hojlund. Co-owner Sir Jim Ratcliffe and the Red Devils' new-look hierarchy are prioritising signing young talents like Obi-Martin and building a team for the long-term.
None of United's five signings from the summer transfer window, who set them back a total of £182million, arrived over the age of 26. The Red Devils also snapped up 18-year-old midfielder Sekou Kone before deadline day, joining from Guidars in his homeland of Mali and going into United's academy setup.
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