Manchester United youngster Chido Obi-Martin made his first-team debut for the Red Devils in their 1-0 loss to Tottenham Hotspur in the Premier League on Sunday afternoon – and that has seen The Athletic’s United reporter, Laurie Whitwell, call for Ruben Amorim to include the young Dane in his plans going forward.
Obi-Martin joined United from Arsenal’s academy in October after various links across the summer, and having excelled in youth ranks in north London, his arrival came with a lot of hype in the hope that he would continue that development in the north-west. It’s safe to say that the club have witnessed that, with Obi-Martin already scoring 12 goals in just nine appearances for the under-18 team – including a hat-trick against Chelsea’s young guns in the FA Youth Cup last weekend – and he has been rewarded with first-team minutes as a result.
Whitwell: Obi-Martin ‘Now an Option’ For Ruben Amorim
United have no choice but to feature their youngsters due to a small squad
United’s decision to let Marcus Rashford and Antony both depart on loan in the winter window means that competition for places at United is scarce, which has seen the young attacker utilised in a time of need for Amorim.
|
Chido Obi-Martin’s career statistics – record by competition |
||
|---|---|---|
|
Competition |
Appearances |
Goals |
|
Under-18 Premier League |
26 |
37 |
|
FA Youth Cup |
4 |
7 |
|
Premier League 2 |
4 |
0 |
|
UEFA Youth League |
4 |
0 |
|
Premier League |
1 |
0 |
But Whitwell believes that Obi-Martin can now be considered an ‘option’ for the Portuguese tactician, with more first-team training needed in order for the Danish youth international to hit the ground running at Old Trafford – and he urged the club’s coaches to take a measured approach to his development.
Whitwell said on the Talk of the Devils podcast:
“I think he certainly now feels like an option. How much he’s been training with the first-team…that hasn’t been loads, so that does need to start if he [Amorim] does see him [Obi-Martin] as a genuine option.
“But certainly United, when they signed him, were very pleased to get him from Arsenal. I’m told that the appeal for him was that ability to play in the first-team,
“That pathway was spelled out for him, and he’s a United fan as well from what I’m told, which always helps a little bit. So whilst we kind of have to make sure we’re measured in our approach on him, I feel like he now has to be part of the conversation around United’s attacking options.”
Obi-Martin Could Have Rashford-Like Trajectory at Man Utd
Rashford was thrust into the side amid injuries and history could be repeating itself
Obi-Martin scored 32 goals in just 21 games for Arsenal’s under-18 side, making it a total of 44 goals in just 30 games combined at that level for the Gunners and the Red Devils.
And, having featured for Denmark’s under-18 team at the age of just 16, there is much to be excited about with regard to his development in the coming years, especially with Europa League football to potentially look forward to.
Operating as an inside forward, Obi-Martin boasts similar traits to Rashford, and he can challenge Alejandro Garnacho for minutes on the left-hand side of the attack in the coming weeks.
Any exponential rise in the ilk that Rashford burst onto the scene almost a decade ago could also save United money in the summer transfer market, with Amorim evidently keen to bolster his ranks in the off-season to end what has been a nightmare campaign on the pitch.
Statistics courtesy of Transfermarkt. Correct as of 20-02-25.
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