Teenage striker Chido Obi-Martin made waves on social media final season by scoring objective after objective for Arsenal’s youth groups, however after turning down the possibility to signal his first skilled contract with the Gunners this summer season, he has chosen to proceed his profession at Manchester United as an alternative.
The switch took a very long time to occur as compensation needed to be agreed as a result of he’s nonetheless simply 16 years outdated and the Premier League needed to ratify the transfer, however Obi-Martin will now take the subsequent step of his profession at Previous Trafford — initially with the under-18s, earlier than seeking to make the transfer as much as the primary workforce.
What can we find out about him? Screenshots of his exploits did the rounds final season as followers marvelled at what number of instances his title appeared on the scoresheet. Obi-Martin hit the headlines as he scored 10 objectives on his personal in an unimaginable 14-3 win over Liverpool’s U16s final November; then, between the beginning of March and the tip of Could, he netted 28 objectives in 10 video games within the U18 Premier League.
However what are United getting, and Arsenal dropping, outdoors his prolific objective scoring? We requested two individuals who have seen him play: ESPN’s Tor-Kristian Karlsen, a former scout and chief govt, and likewise knowledgeable coach who works with gamers from academy to Champions League stage, who agreed to talk on the situation of anonymity due to the age of the participant.
Background
Born within the suburbs of Denmark’s capital, Copenhagen, to a Danish mom and Nigerian father, Obi-Martin moved to England in 2020. Although he had stood out at youth stage for membership aspect FC Copenhagen, the household’s relocation was the results of the then-13-year-old and his youthful brother Chuck becoming a member of his mom for a yr or two in London whereas she was finding out to develop into a nurse. These preliminary plans had been quickly altered when Arsenal supplied him phrases for a scholarship in 2022.
Obi-Martin’s influence within the Arsenal academy (throughout 5 age teams, we’d add) has been extraordinary. He famously hit the web 10 instances in opposition to Liverpool in a 14-3 win for the U16s, and he scored 32 objectives in 18 video games for Arsenal’s U18s final season in opposition to gamers sometimes two or three years his senior.
On the worldwide stage, Obi-Martin was nominated for UEFA’s Crew of the Event on the U17 European Championship finals whereas taking part in for Denmark earlier in the summertime. He can select to play for the senior groups of Denmark, Nigeria or England sooner or later.
Signing with the Elite Venture Group company — which additionally represents the likes of Folarin Balogun, Jadon Sancho and Bukayo Saka — earlier this yr, Obi-Martin’s profile has risen significantly, to the purpose the place he has a boot cope with Adidas and over 200,000 followers on Instagram. However he will be unable to signal his first skilled membership contract in England till his seventeenth birthday in November.
Fashion
Evaluation of Obi-Martin’s sport begins with the obviously apparent: At 6-foot-2, he has a bodily benefit over his friends. It is one factor to have a bodily benefit; it is one other factor to make use of it correctly. However he has nailed it, turning his bodily benefit into one thing harmful for the opposition to take care of.
“There’s little doubt that he has taken full benefit of his early developed physique at academy stage,” Karlsen says. “A good chunk of his objectives originate from him working on to deep passes. He beats the offside line with a wonderful sense of timing; his off-the-ball motion is excellent.”
One explicit transfer, when he seems to make a motion off the skin of the centre-back, receiving the ball in stride after which both bursting via or baiting the defender right into a problem that he can shift previous, is especially spectacular. However whereas he will get himself into goal-scoring positions, he has additionally proven a capability to transform these alternatives too.
“From a plethora of eye-catching expertise, it is the calmness of his ending that stands out,” Karlsen says. “In contrast to most of his friends, Obi-Martin is never in a rush in entrance of objective. Moderately than responding to the pure rush of blood with a untimely effort, he maps out the optimum ending alternative he can obtain from the scenario.
“In the mean time of execution he additionally tends to keep away from the urge to do one thing flamboyant, as he picks the best spot — typically with a measured, curled end with the skin of his boot.”
That end from Martin Obi 😮💨
📺 Sit again and benefit from the highlights of our emphatic 8-1 win in opposition to West Ham United 👇
— Arsenal Academy (@ArsenalAcademy) April 14, 2024
The Champions League-level coach additionally pinpointed Obi-Martin’s means to complete “in rhythm,” establishing a shot with one contact, then pulling the set off in what seems like a single easy movement. That is an indication of a participant who’s nicely balanced and relaxed manipulating the ball; whereas it will probably additionally catch goalkeepers off guard as they won’t be set to make a save as a result of they don’t seem to be anticipating a shot to return so quick.
Obi-Martin’s vitality ranges and defensive work charge look good, whereas he is ready to maintain up the ball when required, so it is easy to see him as the point of interest of an attacking trio, which is how nearly all of high golf equipment function today.
Each in fashion and treasured expertise, Obi-Martin has been likened to Borussia Dortmund’s Youssoufa Moukoko. The Germany worldwide scored 127 objectives in simply 84 appearances at youth stage for the membership, resulting in him being fast-tracked to the primary workforce at age 15, breaking a number of data within the course of. However within the 4 years since, Moukoko has sadly been unable to duplicate his early type, displaying simply how robust it’s to make the step up.
How he can enhance
Nobody expects a 16-year-old to be the completed article, and there are actually a few areas to work on within the quick time period.
“Not uncommonly for teenage strikers, his aerial method can nonetheless be polished,” Karlsen says. “Though his mere peak and bodily presence nonetheless render him a risk from crosses and set items.”
The Champions League-level coach says: “It is really easy for him proper now, nevertheless it will not at all times be.” Certainly, he hopes to see Obi-Martin be taught to adapt his sport shortly. At a better stage, he’ll see much less of the ball, the defenders will likely be stronger, faster and capable of match him bodily. He’ll want to realize a higher appreciation for the altering tempo and rhythm of the sport.
Karlsen doubles down on that: “As he comes up in opposition to skilled, bodily stronger opponents, then extra refined, coordinated workforce strikes will likely be required; the ‘Gather the ball and outrun the defenders’ recipe is unlikely to generate the identical impact.”
In quotes
“Whenever you have a look at Chido, he would not appear to be somebody who hasn’t turned 16 but. To begin with, he has a physique that’s actually advantageous as a soccer participant,” Denmark U17 boss Jesper Mikkelsen instructed Bold final yr. “He’s large and robust, however he’s additionally fairly agile. He’s good at sticking to the sport, however he’s truly additionally good at difficult and dribbling himself.”
“We have now one thing referred to as ‘different sports activities’ each Monday the place we do a special sport — it may very well be avenue or seaside soccer, basketball or hockey,” Anders Lange, FC Copenhagen’s head of youngsters’s soccer, instructed The Athletic in March. “It is good for his or her coordination to do different sports activities and Chido was good at most of them. With him, if you happen to have a look at his effective method, it may not be the best, however he is at all times had a great shot and been a great dribbler.”
Who else was linked?
Bayern Munich confirmed an curiosity as soon as it turned clear that Obi-Martin was not going to signal a brand new contract with Arsenal, whereas Dortmund had been additionally eager.
What’s subsequent?
Now that the deal it achieved, Obi-Martin will settle into the youth setup — in spite of everything, he will not flip 17 till November. It isn’t typically gamers of this age make such high-profile strikes, so he might have time to regulate to the standing and a spotlight it has introduced.
From there, it is about impressing and shifting up the ranks. United have historically been a improbable launchpad for younger forwards — the likes of Wayne Rooney, Alejandro Garnacho, Marcus Rashford, Danny Welbeck — so he ought to be in good fingers.
There’s additionally the intriguing addition of Ruud van Nistelrooy to United’s first-team teaching employees this summer season. The legendary striker, who scored 150 objectives for the membership — in addition to greater than 50 for every of Actual Madrid and PSV Eindhoven too — might certainly train Obi-Martin a factor or two about objective scoring. And which will assist his probabilities of making it into the Manchester United first workforce within the coming years.