Chido Obi-Martin has ended weeks of speculation about his future by confirming his Arsenal departure on Instagram.
The 16-year-old striker is thought to be on the verge of joining Manchester United having rejected scholarship terms at the Emirates. He was also wanted by the likes of Bayern Munich and Borussia Dortmund.
Players under 17 can’t sign a professional contract so negotiations centered around the player’s development pathway in the coming years and future earnings. It’s believed both Edu and Mikel Arteta tried to persuade the Denmark youth international to stay and a substantial offer was made but he still opted to try his luck elsewhere.
Obi-Martin joined the Gunners two years ago – strangely his parting message claims four – and shot to prominence last year with a club-record 32-goal tally for Jack Wilshere’s under-18s. He’d already gone at the tail-end of 2023 when he scored 10 goals for the unner-16s in a 14-3 win at Liverpool.
Chido’s parting message reads: “I would like to express my heartfelt thanks to everyone at Arsenal for the past four years. The experiences and growth I’ve achieved here have been truly invaluable.
“A special thanks to the coaches, staff, and teammates at Hale End. The meories made will always be remembered. Thank you once again for this journey. I wish everyone continued success and all the best for the future.”
The striker’s exit doesn’t come as a huge surprise given he wasn’t on Arsenal’s list of new first-year scholars.
The 11 players to be handed contracts – Andre Annous, Samuel Chapman, Ife Ibrahim, Theo Julienne, Aleksandr Marciniak, Joshua Ogunnaike, Ceadach O’Neill, Samuel Onyekachukwu, Jack Porter, Khari Ranson and Louis Zecevic John – move from Hale End to London Colney for the next two years in their bid to earn a professional contract.
Chido? This wey is mexicano o que?
Could have been an Arsenal legend, like Bukayo.
Let’s hope he becomes a mid table United leg-end, given that money must have been the deciding factor. Shame on him.
I thought so too but no, someone here explained it comes from Chidozie and is of Nigerian origin. Either way este pinche huevón se va a la chingada, ya no me vale madre huey
Snitch!
This lad has obviously got notions about himself . Glad he is gone
bro thinks the meek shall inherit the earth
You’re not slick Arsenal media team! The rage cannot be stopped!!!
Fucking hell. What a classy comment.
Thanks, man. 😁
In all seriousness, if someone looks at this Arsenal team and where they are clearly heading, and then looks at the absolute clown car that is Man United and every single thing they do, and then says to themselves: “I think I will go to Man United. That seems better”, that person might just be a total fucking idiot.
Money motivated
Agent motivated by the sounds of it
Unless he wants how to learn how to snarl and do twirls from Antony, I guess it must be.
Perfect summary…
In fairness to him, United are a) Shit and b) in the Europa, so there will be lots of rotated games and not many players blocking his pathway. It might be the money too, but I can definitely see why that’s a more attractive pathway than a team that has a champions-league level player aged <25 in every forward position.
No way, he’s more likely to play first team football at United than Arsenal. Remind me how much game time Reiss Nelson a professional got last season? And now ask yourself does Chido look at that and think that’s what he wants?. Three hale ender’s on the verge of getting sold this year as well which would only leave Saka as an academy player for Arsenal that’s in the first team (maybe nwarei as well)
If that’s his mentality, he wouldn’t belong in this Arsenal team. The best want to be with the best. They don’t step down a level so they can feel more important.
Much harder to get into our team than theirs.
Or it could be a case of “Jeez, look at that Arsenal first team squad – and those at the club just behind them. I’m never going to break into that!
Now, Manure, I could easily make the first team amongst that bunch of clueless twats!”
Here’s wishing you all the best in your future endeavours, Obi.
Blessings 🙏🏾
There are no sure things in football so I don’t blame him too much for taking the money now. It’s not an awesome look but we don’t know his situation. In three years time he could be a superstar or he could be out of football, or anywhere in between.
That’s mean, Bro. Everything doesn’t revolve around our Club – you win some and you lose some. Nwaneri and MLS would come good for us.
Can’t wait too. Nwaneri is ready
He is a 16 year old boy, are you insane?
No. Just bitter.
This is a very un Arsenal comment dude.
Have a bit of class. You don’t know his situation, if he feels settled, his families fanatical situation…
Let’s just wish him the best and hope he goes on to have a great career.
Nope. If he ends up at ManU, absolutely dead to me.
I wouldn’t wish him well but I wouldn’t wish ill on him either. He’s 16, and perhaps being poorly advised. Time will tell.
Erm. Absolutely not.
Erm. Agree to disagree.
It’s hard to too worked up about this. If his heart wasn’t in it, he’s no use to us.
Good luck with ETH and the crumbling heap called Old Trafford.
Wish you all the best Chido, while also wishing Manchester United all the worst.
The club failed to keep this young man. I hope we will not regret this decision.
What price would you have paid to keep him ? Any ? By suggesting failure you imply that a deal was possible under conditions that you would deem acceptable. What would they be ?
He was offered a lucrative contract which he turned down. How can you blame the club?
Bollocks. Motivated by money now, not willing to wait.The best in the game create their own pathway like Nwaneri. This has a scent of Mudryck wafting about, others making decisions for the player or he truly isn’t that bright.
Chido O-departin’
Patience you lack, Obi Martin. Wiser you must grow.
He’s 16. And he’s flexing. We are finally exercising a zero tolerance policy for “don’t wanna play for us? Best of luck mate” attitudes at the first team level. No chance we would bend for a 16 year old. Having flexible / zero standards and self esteem killed the club in later wenger years. We should never go back. Relax people. We are a proper club. If that looks weird – then you’ve probably only been watching for a decade. Good luck to the kid. United are a shambles and now he has huge expectation and is viewed as a… Read more »
100% this!
Or we might bend a bit for kids with genuine x-factor like Nwaneri. The bar is high now. Attitude, focus, hard work and commitment to the club can’t drop below 10 these days or you can fuck off.
Simple as that.
Nwaneri could play meaningful minutes for Arsenal’s first team this season.
So sad he’s not going to be a future Arsenal legend etc.
Gotta stay ‘classy’.
He and his money grabbing agent can feck off!
What a nob.
Is all about $$$
The claim is that he wasn’t convinced by the project here or his pathway to the first team, which is obviously nonsense on both counts. The pathway was clear for him here with us not having a prolific striker and the project speaks for itself. How he’d rather join Man Ure with their insane transfer policy and a huge roadblock in his way in the form of Rasmus Hojland is bizarre. I get there is some Danish connection but this stinks of money to me and I can’t wish him well moving to that farce of a club. And this… Read more »
Cuuuuuunt
No blog this morning?
My position on this is as follows: 1) You have wage structures for a reason. If you’re paying a 17 yr old the same amount of money as an actual premier league player, that is insane. 2) It is very easy to post ridiculous numbers at younger ages, doubly so if you are physically prodigiously developed, that often meets the reality of playing against other physically domineering adults 3) The club have a process and not over paying, we should be pleased with that 4) He is young, and he may still not make it, if he can make a… Read more »
Have any of you watched that Liverpool game where he scored 10? I don’t want to diminish his performance but I have to be honest when I say Liverpool’s is the worst defensive clip I have ever witnessed on YouTube… and I’ve seen a few.
Arsenal coaches were discussing how he could improve his game to be the very best, and the things he has to work hard on. Yanited are telling him how he’s the second coming and is going straight into the first team (probably to be injured, as they do there). He’s sixteen years old and clearly thinks he’s made it already. Arsenal are better off without him and his attitude.