Coveted Arsenal academy products leaving for pastures new has been a regular occurrence this summer, as after Reuell Walters and Amario Cozier-Duberry ended their associations with the club, one of the highest-rated teenage strikers in the land has followed suit.
Scandinavian sensation Chido Obi Martin confirmed on social media earlier this week that he would not be renewing his Gunners contract, despite the North London giants fighting tooth and nail to tie him to scholarship terms with a view to a professional contract when he turned 17.
The 16-year-old could have followed the money and penned a seniors deal straight away in the Bundesliga, but instead, he is thought to be on the verge of joining Manchester United, having been convinced by the club's project and pathway.
Obi Martin will follow Robin van Persie and Alexis Sanchez as the latest striker to cross the Emirates-Old Trafford divide, and while he may start out in the youth ranks, there is every expectation that he will eventually be a fully-fledged member of Erik ten Hag's first-team squad.
Ahead of official confirmation of Obi Martin's switch to Old Trafford, Sports Mole takes an in-depth look at the Red Devils' new attacking sensation.
Chido Obi Martin background
A native of Glostrup - one of the western suburbs of the Danish capital Copenhagen - Obi Martin was born to a Danish mother and a Nigerian father in 2007 and moved to the UK at a young age.
Before landing on British shores, though, Obi Martin's footballing career began with Danish giants FC Copenhagen - regulars in the Champions League - before he was poached by the Gunners in the COVID-19 era.
There appears to be some confusion as to when Obi Martin actually joined the Gunners, as while some sources state that he started his Arsenal journey in the summer of 2022, the striker himself said on Instagram that he had spent four years in North London.
Regardless, Obi Martin did not take long to adapt to English football and rose to international fame in November 2023, when he scored a tremendous 10 goals in one Under-16s game against a helpless Liverpool side.
Obi Martin's promotion to regular Under-18 football last season saw the attacker's prolific streak continue, as he notched a staggering 32 goals in 18 league contests, including seven in one game against Norwich City.
Obi Martin's rapid progression unsurprisingly saw him break into the Under-21s side, where he only made fleeting appearances, while he was also invited to train with the seniors before deciding that his future lay elsewhere.
Chido Obi Martin style of play
© Imago
At 6ft 2in tall, Obi Martin is a robust and ruthless attacker who shows shades of Thierry Henry if you are of an Arsenal persuasion, or alternatively Van Persie and Ruud van Nistelrooy for Man United supporters.
Given the numbers that Obi Martin has been putting up at youth level, to describe the right-footed teenager as clinical would be a huge understatement, and he shows composure beyond his years inside the penalty area.
As well as coolly picking out the corners and finishing from tight angles, Obi Martin is also a competent chipper, delicately lifting the ball over goalkeepers in the manner that Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang used to do.
The Henry comparisons can also be fuelled by Obi Martin's penchant to go on barnstorming runs from deep, as the 16-year-old is happy to charge at defenders and lead counter-attacks from inside his own half.
Obi Martin's tall frame also makes him an aerial threat in both boxes, while he does not shy away from penalty duties either. But last and certainly not least for Man United fans, the teenager has also been known to copy Cristiano Ronaldo's 'siuuu' celebration, so following in the Portuguese's Old Trafford footsteps may have very well been a factor in Obi Martin's decision too.
Chido Obi Martin international experience
Yet to make his senior debut at club or indeed international level, Obi Martin is eligible to play for all of Denmark, England or Nigeria, and he has represented the former two nations during the embryonic stages of his career.
Indeed, Obi Martin pulled on the Denmark and England shirts at Under-16 level, and he was memorably called up to both squads in early 2023, ultimately playing two matches for the Young Lions.
However, Obi Martin failed to start or score in either of those friendlies and has since achieved major success with Denmark's Under-17s, scoring 11 goals in 18 games for the young Scandinavians.
The 16-year-old's first appearance saw him net four goals in a 6-2 crushing of Norway, and he helped Denmark reach the semi-finals of the Under-17 Euros earlier this year, scoring two goals and being named in the Team of the Tournament.
Ben Knapton
