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Manchester United plan to be “patient” with Chido Obi-Martin as the 16-year-old striker will need time to “get his fitness up to speed and settle into his new environment”.
Obi-Martin was finally confirmed as a Red Devil last week as his move from Arsenal was officially ratified by the Premier League.
The Danish striker had agreed to swap the Emirates for Old Trafford in July as his contract with the London club came to an end, but the league’s regulations over youth players delayed the move until the end of September.
Obi-Martin gained an unusual level of recognition for a player so young after scoring ten goals for Arsenal in a youth match last season. The 16-year-old is widely seen as one of the most talented prospects in the country with a number of clubs rivalling United in their pursuit of him this summer.
Arsenal were keen for Obi-Martin to sign a new deal, and he was reportedly offered lucrative deals in the Bundesliga, but chose Manchester as the stage for the next step in his rapidly burgeoning career.
INEOS, who gained full control over the football operation at Old Trafford in February, have prioritised the pursuit of highly-rated academy players in the early period of their rule. Obi-Martin was joined by Samuel Lusale (Crystal Palace) and James Overy (Perth Glory), as well as 18-year-old Sekou Kone (Guidars FC), as part of this approach.
Owing to the protracted nature of his move to Manchester, Obi-Martin has been training for the past three months without a club. The striker has been completing individual sessions with a coach but this style of training can only take a player so far.
Steve Railston (Manchester Evening News) reveals a source at Old Trafford “admitted [Obi-Martin] is essentially having to have a pre-season now…meaning supporters might have to wait to get a glimpse of the youngster playing for the academy.”
The club will adopt a “patient” approach with their new starlet who “won’t be rushed to play a competitive fixture” until he is fully up to speed. This is likely to be the same approach used for Kone, though Obi-Martin has missed more game time.
Railston describes Obi-Martin as one of the “most exciting young talents in Europe” and his capture from a direct Premier League rival was “seen as a significant coup” for United.
Speaking on social media to confirm the move, Obi-Martin stated how “nobody can understand how excited I am right now”, describing joining the Red Devils as a “dream come true”.
It may just be a dream which takes a little bit longer to fully realise as United plan to ease their new striker into life at Old Trafford before “unleashing” him on academy defences up and down the country.
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