Arsenal and Man United stars send messages to Chido Obi amidst striker crisis
Arsenal and Man United stars have sent messages to Chido Obi as the club looks to solve their number nine problem this summer.
Following his switch from the Emirates to Old Trafford last summer, the young Dane had plenty of eyes on him with supporters excited to see the hyped prospect in action.
And they got their wish in a 1-0 loss to Tottenham in February, before the Danish Under-20 international made appearances against Everton and Fulham.
Having only turned 17 in November 2024, Ruben Amorim was cautious in his use of the young striker, in spite of Man United fans being desperate to see more of Obi.
The Red Devils continued to struggle to find an answer at the striker position for the rest of the season, and those issues have now spilt over into the transfer market.
Chido Obi shares training ground update
Obi shared an image of himself in training on Instagram, wearing gear sporting the number 32, which will be the new number the striker wears this season after donning 56 last term.
Toby Collyer and Arsenal wonderkid Max Dowman both replied to the post with love heart emojis, showing their support for the 17-year-old.
Chido Obi the answer to Man United’s striking woes
Football Insider Verdict
Man United are looking at Nicolas Jackson as an option at striker this summer and could use Alejandro Garnacho as a makeweight in the deal.
Rasmus Hojlund and Joshua Zirkzee combined for just seven Premier League goals last season and Amorim’s side are in desperate need of more firepower.
United were the Premier League’s fifth-lowest scorers last season, and despite the addition of Matheus Cunha, finding a number nine is paramount.
However, despite the club’s continued desire to fix their issues by way of splashing cash on expensive additions, it may be smart to look inwards.
Obi is young and inexperienced, but in his brief outings last term, the Dane showed he has huge potential. At times, the 17-year-old looked far more suited to first-team football than either Hojlund or Zirkzee.
Moving forward with a teenager as the club’s first-choice number nine is an unlikely option, but with the youngster clearly just a season or two away from being ready, United may be better advised to find a short-term option up top who will not impede on the former Arsenal man’s development.