3 reasons why Arsenal must keep Chido Obi Martin

With interest from top European clubs, Arsenal face stiff competition in their bid to secure a senior contract for academy wonderkid, Chido Obi Martin.

Arsenal's 16-year-old starlet has been a topic of interest this Summer. The Gunners already had an initial proposal rejected by the striker. However, with an "improved" offer on the table, they have stepped up their efforts and rightly so.

The player also has approaches from Bayern Munich and Borussia Dortmund to consider though. Both clubs have been notable for their youth developments in recent years. Jamal Musiala, Alphonso Davies, Jude Bellingham, and Erling Haaland all players that joined the German youth setups at a young age and have gone on to feature on Europe's biggest stages.

As appealing as the options are, Arsenal must make sure they win the race for Chido Obi. Here's why.

1. A world class talent

Many fans will be aware of the time when Chido Obi put ten goals past the Liverpool Under-16s in a 14-3 win. He scored an exceptional 32 goals in just 20 appearances for the Arsenal Under-18s last season, as well as TEN goals in 14 for Denmark's Under-17s. These numbers are quite reminiscent of those Erling Haaland had in his youth years. The Norweigan famously scored nine goals in one game for his country in the 2019 U20 World Cup.

Chid Obi's physical level is completely beyond what would be expected of someone his age. Standing at 6 feet and 2 inches, his towering presence combined with his speed and movement is simply too much for the defenders he is currently put against. Moreover, his confident and driven mentality has birthed a unique striker's instinct, and this has enabled him to score in heaps every time he plays.

We are in a world where the next generation of talent is being fast-tracked to senior football. 16-year-old Lamine Yamal, who lit up Euro 2024, is a perfect example. Players like Warren Zaire-Emery, Kobbie Mainoo and Arda Guler are already starting in the first team for club/country at their young ages. Arsenal have been blessed with a prolific striker from this next-gen crop of players and it is vital they hold onto him.

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