What Arsenal did to try and convince Chido Obi-Martin to stay, it was a ‘fantastic effort’

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Arsenal have been handed a blow as it appears that top academy talent Chido Obi-Martin will now depart the club after failing to agree scholarship terms.

The 16-year-old was outstanding for the Arsenal under-18s last season, breaking academy records by scoring 32 goals in 18 under-18 Premier League matches.

The striker is one of the best talents in the Hale End Academy, and Arsenal were keen to tie him down to a scholarship contract until his 17th birthday, at which point he would sign professional terms.

However, clubs including Bayern Munich had unsettled the striker, and it now seems likely that he will make a shock move to Manchester United.

Arsenal fans fumed at the club for allowing a top talent to join a rival, but the reality of the situation is that the club could hardly do any more to keep him.

Arsenal tried hard to convince Chido Obi-Martin to stay

Fabrizio Romano has now stated on his Watch Playback channel that Arsenal went through extra effort to attempt to tie their prodigal striker down, but he simply decided to move on.

“Arsenal did a fantastic effort to keep Chido Obi-Martin at the club. Arsenal offered a really important contract, very big money for an academy player and they also involved Mikel Arteta in the conversation. Arsenal tried until the end,” he stated.

Despite this effort, Arsenal feel that the striker will leave, and that they could do no more to convince him to stay.

“Arsenal consider Chido Obi Martin gone, despite big proposal he’s leaving the club. Chido visited Manchester United as they’re pushing to sign him. Bayern, Newcastle, Monaco, Frankfurt also made contact; decision expected soon. Man City, not in the race,” Romano posted on X.

Arsenal could not do any more to convince Chido Obi-Martin to stay

Obi-Martin’s choice of next club will be particularly interesting, given his stance that he wants a clear pathway to first-team action.

If he chooses Man United, who have signed young strikers in Rasmus Hojlund and Joshua Zirkzee within a year, then it would be something of a surprise as his development is better spent at Arsenal.

Arsenal sold Mika Biereth, and are unlikely to sign a centre-forward this summer. Whilst first-team action was perhaps still a long way away, Mikel Arteta was clearly keen on keeping him, and the club were prepared to offer him favourable financial terms and outlined his development path.

When his head was turned in favour of leaving, there was little more Arsenal could do, and the reality is that with the team challenging for the title, there is little room to bed youngsters into the first team like Bukayo Saka was afforded in 2019.