‘Chido Obi out of competition after Man United call by Ruben Amorim’
Man United starlet Chido Obi will not feature in a prestigious competition despite the club’s success, reports MailOnline.
The 17-year-old made his first-team debut off the bench in a 1-0 loss to Tottenham on 16 February, and has since made two more appearances, against Everton and Fulham.
Obi’s performance in the FA Cup against Fulham impressed fans, as big-money signings Joshua Zirkzee and Rasmus Hojlund struggle to make their mark for the club.
The young striker has featured for both Denmark and England at youth level, and is also eligible to feature for Nigeria internationally.
Obi joined United in the summer from Arsenal, despite a personal intervention from Mikel Arteta, and much to the annoyance of the Gunners’ hierarchy.
Chido Obi unlikely to feature in FA Youth Cup despite dominating
Meanwhile United’s U18s came from behind to beat Arsenal U18’s 3-2 in extra-time on Friday (28 February), to reach the semi-final of the FA Youth Cup.
Obi reacted to the win by taking a dig at Arsenal on social media, commenting “THANK YOU SO MUCH”, with a series of laughing emoji’s, on his teammate Jaydan Kamason’s post after the game.
The competition is arguably one of the most prestigious youth tournaments in the world, and the Red Devils have a storied history in the competition, winning it a record 11 times.
However, despite scoring seven goals in the opening three games for United, Obi is not expected to feature again in the competition, after breaking into Ruben Amorim’s first team, MailOnline reports.
Chido Obi offers bright spark for Man United amidst financial difficulties
Football Insider Verdict
Obi was joined at United by fellow Arsenal youth graduate Ayden Heaven, after the centre-back made the switch in January.
Both players are viewed as real talents at a youth level, and both have already been provided with first team minutes this season.
| Stats for Man United U18s | Obi |
| Appearances | 9 |
| Goals | 12 |
| Assists | 1 |
| Yellow cards | 1 |
| Red cards | 0 |
Zirkzee and Hojlund’s difficulties in front of goal have been well documented, and a stat emerged after the loss to Fulham in the FA Cup that Obi had been the recipient of as many big chances in that game, as the former Atalanta striker had received all season (three).
With United seeming destined to miss out on European qualification through the league this season, there is a good chance the Denmark U17 international will be given more opportunities to impress under Amorim.
With United struggling financially, there will be an extra emphasis placed on Obi’s development, as the club will struggle to spend big in the summer, meaning any replacement for the current first-team strikers is likely to come from the youth academy.