Arsenal losing out on potential superstar as Chido Obi-Martin leaves club

Arsenal have failed in their efforts to keep a potential superstar in Chido Obi-Martin with the 16-year-old leaving the club after rejecting a new contract.

Obi-Martin gained plenty of traction following a prolific season with the Under-18s last term having risen to prominence after a nine-goal outing against Liverpool's Under-16s. The teenage forward scored 32 times in the Premier League 2, surpassing the single-season scoring record at that level previously held by former Gunner Folarin Balogun.

While a step up to the senior set-up may have been a bridge too far next season given Mikel Arteta's track record, Obi-Martin was poised to play a prominent role within Arsenal's youth teams and would've almost certainly been a major player for the Under-23s with a view of potentially making his senior debut.

However, the 16-year-old has seemingly been swayed by offers from elsewhere, rejecting the chance to stay in north London.

Potential superstar Chido Obi-Martin to leave Arsenal

Obi-Martin's seismic talent means Arsenal were always going to have stiff competition for his services this summer. The player's contract with the Gunners is coming to an end, and Arsenal did, of course, offer the teenager an extension.

However, Fabrizio Romano has revealed that the young forward will leave the club as a free agent and now go about weighing up his options. He's said to have received offers from England and Germany, with Manchester United one of the clubs sniffing around.

United's interest is well-documented and Football Insider reports that the Red Devils have sent the young Dane a 'magnificent offer'. United would love to sign Obi-Martin to professional terms as soon as he turns 17.

Losing out on Obi-Martin to a distinct rival in Man Utd would be a bitter pill for Arsenal to swallow. However, the truth is that the Gunners haven't exactly shown a clear pathway to first-team minutes for their academy stars following the respective emergences of Bukayo Saka, Eddie Nketiah, and Emile Smith Rowe. The club hasn't disregarded its youth, not at all, but their current academy stars have found senior minutes tough to come by.

Perhaps the likes of Brooke Norton-Cuffy, Amario Cozier-Duberry or Charlie Patino were never good enough, but whether that's true or not is irrelevant for those younger and hoping to make the grade at the highest level. For Obi-Martin, he clearly believes his best chance is away from north London.

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