Chido Obi Martin has officially confirmed his move to Manchester United, with the teenager taking to social media to reveal his delight at his switch to the 20-time English champions.
The 16-year-old had the chance to sign a new contract with Arsenal, but he decided to leave the Gunners in search of pastures new despite enjoying a staggering 2023-24 campaign.
Obi Martin scored 32 goals in 18 appearances for Arsenal Under-18s last season, including 28 goals in his final nine appearances of the campaign, but he believed that his development would be best served away from the North London club.
A number of teams were linked with his services, but Man United won the race, with a medical believed to have taken place in August, but the complex nature of the deal meant that the 20-time English champions had to wait before a deal could be completed.
Obi Martin has now confirmed his move to Old Trafford, and he has said that he wants to 'achieve all of his dreams' during his time with the Premier League giants.
© Imago
Obi Martin confirms Man United move
"Very happy to sign with this amazing club, time to focus and achieve all my dreams. Thanks to everyone who has helped me get this far," he wrote on his official Instagram account.
Obi Martin managed five goals against West Ham United Under-18s and seven against Norwich City Under-18s towards the end of last season, and he had been in the first-team picture at Arsenal in terms of training sessions.
The forward allegedly struggled to see a route into the senior side on a regular basis, though, and he therefore decided against signing a new contract with Mikel Arteta's side.
Obi Martin's move to Man United from Arsenal had been subject to the Premier League's five-step investigation, which occurs when a player switches between two Category One academies.
🔴✨ Chido Obi Martin: "I'm very happy to sign with Man United, an amazing club".
— Fabrizio Romano (@FabrizioRomano) October 5, 2024
"It's now time to focus and achieve all my dreams". pic.twitter.com/NjI3mUOByd
Obi Martin netted 10 times for Arsenal Under-16s in one match
The forward hit the headlines when he scored 10 goals against Liverpool Under-16s last November, and in his final appearance for Arsenal Under-18s, he netted three times in a 5-2 success over Chelsea Under-18s.
Man United will, of course, give him time to develop, and the youngster has missed pre-season, so it will take him a few months to get up to speed with the Under-18s.
However, Obi Martin's potential was seen early, debuting for Arsenal Under-21s at the age of 15, and he will be 17 next month, so it is not impossible to imagine him being involved with the first team at some point next year.
The Denmark Under-18s international is believed to have had more lucrative offers than Man United this summer, but his first choice was always to make the move to the English giants.
Matt Law
![Manchester United co-owner Sir Jim Ratcliffe pictured on May 25, 2024 [IMAGO]](https://sm.imgix.net/11/29/1x1.gif?w=1&h=1 "Manchester United co-owner Sir Jim Ratcliffe pictured on May 25, 2024 [IMAGO]")
