Tony Adams, Cesc Fabregas, Ashley Cole, Andy Cole, Serge Gnabry, Ray Parlour, Bukayo Saka. The Hale End, the nickname given to Arsenal’s youth academy, has produced some incredible players over the years. However, with names such as Ryan Giggs, David Beckham, Paul Scholes, Sir Bobby Charlton, Duncan Edwards, George Best, Paul Pogba, Marcus Rashford, and Alejandro Garnacho, Man Utd’s youth setup might just be even better. So, what’s a footballer to do when forced to choose between these two incredible academies?
Well, my friend, you’ve been introduced to the dilemma facing the crown jewel of Arsenal’s youth setup, known as Chido Obi. The Danish-Nigerian striker who took headlines in December after scoring 10 for Arsenal U15 in ONE MATCH in a 14-3 win against Liverpool’s U15s. Yes, that Liverpool. Since then, he was promoted to the U16s and STILL scored tons, netting at least 5 goals in a single match at least half a dozen times. The November 2007-born striker has also scored 10 in 14 matches for Denmark’s U17s, and has been promised playing time in the U19s team for Arsenal should he stay, with a likely Premier League debut coming in 2024/25.
However, since around May, Obi hasn’t been settled at Arsenal. With his contract expiring at the end of last month, several other major teams were pursuing the striker, with names like Bayern and Dortmund on the table. However, after those moves fizzled out towards mid-June, it seemed as if Arsenal were finally set to retain their star prospect.
However, that’s when our friends at Manchester United, who we talked about with the Leny Yoro story recently, decided to swoop in and try to steal their (one of many) rival’s young talent. They presented an offer better than Arsenal’s, as well as tried to convince him of their sporting project. Now, Obi had a decision. Gunners or Devils?
It’s a decision that I wouldn’t want to have to make, but Obi had to make it. A club that brought up Bukayo Saka or one that brought up Alejandro Garnacho? It’s tough, but in the end, Obi did make a decision. And we know what it is.
As you may have read from the title of this post, Chido Obi has chosen Manchester United. Ten Hag over Arteta. Old Trafford over The Emirates. The North over The South. Crossing the lines of one of the fiercest rivalries in the Premier League, which saw a nearly 20-year long managerial rivalry between Arsene Wenger and Sir Alex Ferguson, fights between Patrick Vieira and Roy Keane, and the majority of the Premier League titles won in the 1990s and 2000s.
There have been some famous transfers between these clubs, but the most recent player to switch sides was Harrison Parker, who switched in 2021 at 14 years old, and has since gone to Manchester City, so he’s just filling out his bingo card of major English clubs at this point.
One of the most controversial transfers that happened between these two was in 2012, when Arsenal captain and star man Robin van Persie made the move to United in the heat of the rivalry. United went on the win the title that year, with who else to give United the guard of honor but Arsenal, with van Persie coming down the tunnel, with his former teammates being forced to applaud him onto the pitch. We also saw a swap deal between United and Arsenal, for Alexis Sanchez, who was also Arsenal’s star man at the time, and Henrikh Mkhitaryan. Neither of them did well at all, and neither did the clubs.
So, how will Obi do? Well, I see his game time largely being between the U19 and U21 teams, with the Danish forward getting a few first team games. I definitely see Man Utd as a team more inviting to academy prospects, and I believe he will do well at the club, or can at least be helped develop into a future star elsewhere. The move should be announced soon, and it’ll start a wave of agendas against him by Arsenal fans, sadly. For now though, I’m Jim James, until next time.