Arsenal wonderkid Chido Obi-Martin could come to regret his decision to leave North London this summer.
As things stand, Chido Obi-Martin is almost certain to leave Arsenal very soon.
The Hale End academy wonderkid has been unable to agree fresh terms at the Emirates Stadium. After Arsenal refused to improve their contract offer to Obi-Martin, the club informed the youngster that he is free to seek pastures new, with Manchester United now looking like an attractive destination.
It will certainly be a blow to see the teenager go. The Danish striker was in phenomenal form last season. Obi-Martin broke a number of Arsenal academy records with his goalscoring exploits, and is one of the most highly-rated prospects on the club’s books.
However, that does not mean that the Gunners should have caved to his demands. It is also the case that leaving Arsenal may not be the right move for the 16-year-old at this nascent stage in his career.
After all, he is comfortable and clearly full of confidence when it comes to playing for Arsenal. He has the stability, support, and game time that young players need, and would be taking a risk at a crucial point in his development by moving on.
Chido Obi-Martin must be wary of replicating former Arsenal prodigy Marcus McGuane
There are countless examples of players who have shone at youth level, and made moves too early, which has halted their development and seen them stagnate.
For instance, in January 2018, Marcus McGuane was tipped to be the next big thing. He had excelled within the Arsenal academy setup, and the Gunners were desperate to keep him, as reported by The Sun.
However, the lure of Barcelona was too much for the then-teenager to resist, and he joined the Spanish giants. Unfortunately, he never really settled in Spain or threatened to break into the first team at the Camp Nou.
The 25-year-old midfielder has still been able to forge a decent career for himself, and now turns out for Oxford United, but there will always be a sense of what might have been hovering around him.
It is perfectly possible that, had he remained at Arsenal, his career might have panned out in a similar fashion. However, it is hard to argue that the move to Barcelona didn’t negatively impact his progress.
None of this is to say that if Obi-Martin leaves Arsenal that he will fail to make the grade at the highest level, but he is arguably taking an unnecessary risk which could harm his future prospects if he isn’t able to settle in his new environment as comfortably as he has at Arsenal.
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