Manchester United have secured two signings for the senior team but it is a measure of how highly rated Chido Obi-Martin is that the noise around his signing is almost as much, if not more, than the previous two.
Set to join from Arsenal in a move that has many United fans making the same point, Obi-Martin’s goal record at youth level is the stuff of legends.
He was a highly coveted player when there was an inkling that he could be snapped up and United pulled out all stops to do so, eager to get their hands on one of English youth football’s greatest talents right now.
As per some reports, they have even agreed to make him the third-choice striker for the senior team from the get-go, a huge show of trust in the 16-year-old’s ability.
We try to map out when he could make his Manchester United debut based on these reports and the club’s fixtures-
When Chido Obi-Martin could make his Man United debut
Even though the youngster has been promised the third-choice striker role from the beginning, it would be a huge surprise if he makes his debut for the senior team before making an appearance for the U21s.
One thing’s for sure, though, and that is he won’t be playing for the U18s, despite being just 16. That is because he has proved to already have outgrown that stage of youth football.
Last season, he scored 32 goals in just 18 games while playing for Arsenal’s U18s as a 15-year-old. He played just 20 minutes of league football for their U21s before the season ended.
Therefore, there is no point in playing him in the United U18s at this stage of development. The U21s finished 12th in the Premier League 2 competition last season in a 26-team league but that’s mainly because players who outgrow it are sent on loan and it’s made up of talented U18 players who need to be challenged.
As of now, the first fixture for the U21s is listed to be against Barnsley in the English Football League trophy on September 3, 7.45 PM BST.
It is a reasonable prediction that Obi-Martin will play that game. The 2024/25 fixtures for Premier League haven’t been announced yet but last year, the U21s played their first game in that competition on August 14 so Obi-Martin’s debut is likely to be earlier.
As for the first team, United kick off their season against Man City in the Community Shield final on August 10 but it would be a huge surprise if Obi-Martin plays there.
He will have missed the pre-season with the senior team so throwing a 16-year-old straight into the first-team picture is not ideal.
The home game on August 16 against Fulham is the one he might make the squad for and depending upon the PL 2 fixtures before and after, could even get his debut in front of the home fans, even if it’s for just a few minutes.
The potential pathway
The expectation will be that he trains with the first team from the first day but plays more regularly for the U21s. However, if he carries his U18s goalscoring form into the U21s, then United will have no choice but to promote him to the first-team full-time.
It is entirely possible that by the time January rolls around, he is a first-team fixture. With United playing in four competitions, including a grueling Thursday-Sunday schedule due to the Europa League, expect the group stage of that competition to be the place where he first makes his proper mark.
By the end of the season, Obi-Martin could well have his first senior United goal and a debut in every competition. That would be a bonafide success.
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