Why Chido Obi-Martin chose to leave Arsenal despite an offer of a good deal

Chido Obi-Martin is set to join Manchester United from Arsenal despite the Gunners’ best efforts to keep him.

The teenager was in stunning form for the Gunners’ U18 side last season, making scoring look easy.

Arsenal was confident that he was enjoying his time at their academy and would extend his deal while waiting to sign a professional contract.

However, at the end of the last campaign, they began to struggle to keep him as several clubs looked to poach the youngster.

He continued to perform well but did not sign the contract Arsenal offered, letting his previous deal expire.

Arsenal did all they could, offering him a very good salary and a pathway to first-team football, but it was not enough to convince him to stay.

The Denmark youth international is reportedly close to joining Manchester United, and Metro Sport reveals why he opted to leave Arsenal.

The report claims he has seen the likes of Eddie Nketiah and other academy graduates struggle for first-team opportunities, while some youth team players left this summer due to a lack of chances to play.

This did not give him confidence that he would get a breakthrough. Additionally, Manchester United doubled the wage that Arsenal offered him, making their offer more attractive.

Just Arsenal Opinion

We cannot keep everyone happy, and we wish Obi-Martin the best of luck at United.


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21 Comments

  1. Can’t say I blame him if he thinks he’ll get a better chance of advancing at another club although his agent has probably had a lot to do with it. Think he should remember that he is only 16 though , still I wish him all the best of luck.

    1. I agree his agent would have played a significant role, but that doesn’t change the facts.
      1. Academy players have a hard time making it at Arsenal. Five years is enough evidence.
      2. Seeing Garnacho and Mainoo, it is easier for a young player to be more hopeful under Ten Hag.

      That said, Bayern or Dortmund would have been better choices than United

  2. It will be a sad happening occurrence to us Arsenal. If at the end of it all, Arsenal didn’t keep Chido Obi Martin. Which will thus allow him to join Man Utd.
    I’ve read all Chido’s excuses that he gave as the reason for his not want to stay at Arsenal anymore.
    And I reasoned with him but to a certain limit.
    Certain limit is the sense that, supposing if Arsenal matched the wages that Man Utd offered him. But would he stay with Arsenal and sign a new deal at the club?
    If his answer is Yes! Okay then, it’s good and well for all of us including Chido himself.
    But if Arsenal matches the Man Utd salary that they’ve offered him to sign for them. And Arteta gives him an assurance that he’ll include him in the team 25 Gunners squad for next season’s campaign. And he answered No! I don’t accept it to stay.
    Then, Arsenal SHOULD leave him to go to wherever that he wants to go to. But if Arsenal does offer him the new improved offer that I opined above for him to be pampered to stay. Because since he’s a potential high capacity goals scoring gem who is looking to be in the making.

  3. I wonder if Mikel will get the same stick that previous managers got, when we lost younger players?
    I hope not, as the only one I can think of who actually made it to a high level was Gnarby,Martinez and, I fear, ESR.

  4. I rate Nwaneri above Chido. Playing just under 30 games and looking for path to the first team seems very hasty decision by Chido. And it clearly looks financially motivated as well, as Man United offered double the money Arsenal was willing to.

    1. Or maybe it’s because he’s seen before him that youngsters have no path to the first team under Arteta as he’s choosen to buy success (which is his right )rather than promote within .
      We might see this becoming more frequent until Arteta starts using and coaching the Academy players .

      1. How are you so sure that Arteta is the one “choosing” to “Buy” success? If any manager is asked to win the league and major trophies, I don’t think any sensible manager would prioritize promoting youth.

        Just answer this, Does Pep do it? How many City academy players have Pep promoted to first team in his tenure?

        If you say, because Pep wins trophies so he is excused for not promoting youth, that’s hypocritical. As Arteta is trying to do the same.

        If you say you want regular pathways to the first team for youth and also want trophies, that’s delusory to say the least.

        1. Arteta is the manager and apparently as full control of the club (or are you now suggesting otherwise)?
          No manager in our history as had anything like the backing he has had ,so yes he he’s buying success (like I said his right .
          You’re question about PEP ,I couldn’t tell you but as I don’t follow Man City ,but his tried and tasted ways have brought Man City countless trophies,Arteta who as copied him hasn’t .
          Let’s see at the end of the season what the so called Magician as got us and then come back to me ,but I would be amazed if he hasn’t got a trophy you will not bring out the same old tired excuses.
          Par for the course regarding Arteta fans and not proper arsenal fans .
          Remember AFC – Arsenal football club ,not Arteta football club

          1. “Apparently has full control of the club”

            That’s a silly statement, do you realize? Financial backing doesn’t equate full control. It just means owners are willing to spend money under Arteta towards development and growth, it says nothing about how much say a manager has in the club proceedings. Arteta is a vital figure at the club, but to claim the manager having a full control at the club is taking it way far.

            Regarding winning trophies, will you excuse Arteta for not promoting youth if he starts getting trophies and win major honors consistently? Wouldn’t that mean that you are not really upset at the fact that our academy players are moving elsewhere, but rather since Arteta hasn’t won anything yet, somehow that very fact becomes relevant? I don’t see a clear reasoning here.

            We all want good for the club despite differences in beliefs and the manner of doing that. We might as well have very different ideas of a successful Arsenal, but through sheer logic, we atleast should be able to see past our subjectivity biases and agree on the events as they happen.

            And this season defines my final opinion on Arteta. The phases he speak of applies to us fans as well in direct correlation. I have to give him that. Opinions similarly take phases as well. And this season, with the signings that are happening, Calafiori, Merino, and some winger or a forward, we as a squad won’t have any apparent weakness in any section of the field. What Arteta achieves this season is going to define my final opinion on him. And you will hear it loud and clear. And you seem to have very little distinction in mind between excuses and contexts. To you it’s one and the same.

      2. tell me how many ambition title winning teams in the world have a lot of youth players? Man city have 2, real Madrid has 2 or 3. We can’t have it both ways. If the players are good enough, they will play. It’s
        that simple. The problem is these young players feel entitled to just go straight into the team after performing well for the youth team instead of earning their way. Going out on loan a couple times and performing well. Saka didn’t go out on loan but he earned his way into the first team. That’s a perfect example of how to get in the first team. Obviously injuries and timing are important as well but it doesn’t happen overnight. I’m personally could care less that he left. At the level that arsenal is at now, any player has to prove that they deserve to play, regardless of how good they think they are. We can’t keep them all after all

        1. I absolutely agree with you
          Is it in Arteta’s interests to not bring through youth players who are good enough? I very much doubt that. In the short term the main requirement has been to get top4. That has been reached in 2 consecutive years. Next up is the league. After sustaining a top level with a deep squad- as City have – then there is time and space to experiment more freely and frequently with the up and coming players

      3. He’s more likely to get first team minutes at Man United than Arsenal as they’re still at the start of a rebuilding project that began 10 years ago & have realised that even an eye watering 30k a week for a promising 16 year old makes more sense than £250k per week on the likes of an under performing Sancho or £200k on Antony. Having tried everything in the decade since Ferguson retired & got nowhere they’re in a position where they have to make some radical decisions with the squad. Being at the other end of a total squad rebuild, the pathway to the first team at Arsenal is far more restricted as they’ve got momentum to lose & can’t afford to take the same chances with unproven youngsters.
        Good luck to him.

        1. Yet Man Utd have put 2 trophies in the cabinet in Artetas tenure,surely that is what the record books will show ,all this talk of teams being 3-4 years behind Arsenal is mythical at best .
          The history buffs don’t remember a manager that had talked a good game but managers that actually stuck a trophy into the record books .
          Let’s hope we can actually join the successful clubs come seasons end ,but I would imagine the cringe Arteta fan club will still be trying their best to convince us how good he is .

          1. I’ll take what we are doing now over those 2 trophies united won any day. Even with those 2 trophies they won, they are still a mess as a club. 2 trophies isn’t going to change that. It’s long term strategic planning like Arsenal have done that’ll get them to compete at the highest levels again.

          2. I ll take it that you are a chronic Arteta hater from your comments. You can’t eat your cake and have it.
            Trophies are good, but this is the best Arsenal team in recent memory. You actually want to turn up and watch us play with where we currently are. I guess you are one of those lots who are disappointed the coach wasn’t fired when he actually deserved it and ur disappointment knows no bounds now that the team has gotten considerably better under the same man.
            The fact that a 16YO left shouldn’t even spark a write up. All players playing at a top level were 16YO once. Good luck to the lad where ever he goes. The grass is not always greener on the other side. You remember the Omari boy who left us for Chelsea? Every one has an excuse for their decisions.

  5. Let Arteta give more playing time to young players or else this trend will continue.
    Let more of them be included in the Carabao cup squad like Wenger used to.

  6. According to Dharmesh Sheth, it’s still uncertain whether Chido will sign for Manchester United. The transfer seems to be heavily influenced by his family, who are from Denmark and prefer him to play in Germany. It appears that the decision is not solely based on the lack of a clear pathway to the first team.

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