Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta hinted that Chido Obi’s decision to leave the Gunners for Manchester United’s last year was not purely based on an improved pathway into the first team.
Obi spent two years coming through Arsenal’s junior teams before allowing his contract to expire last summer. The prolific 17-year-old forward signed for United in October and rapidly picked up from where he left off, bullying every defence he came up against in youth football.
The towering teen has recently been offered the chance to turn out for United’s senior side, accruing a smattering of cameo appearances off the bench for Ruben Amorim’s injury-riddled squad since the turn of the year. Such was Obi’s bright impact, his ineligibility for the Europa League caused a minor stir.
As he was being saved for United’s senior FA Cup tie against Fulham last weekend, Obi missed the chance to face Arsenal in the FA Youth Cup two days earlier. However, the former Gunner will go up against the north London outfit in the Premier League this weekend.
Arteta was predictably asked about Obi’s summer exit before the two clubs clash on Sunday. Without delving into specifics, the Spanish boss left enough room for speculation when he warned: “To persuade a player to stay, a player has to be willing to be with us and commit to us – and I don’t know specifically, [but] both parties will feel very different about it.”
“Depending on what is the reason, they want to go somewhere else – that is it,” Arteta added. “I wasn’t too involved in that decision. When a player decides the best pathway is to leave, there’s not much you can do. Very unfortunate.”
The Times claim that Arsenal internally attribute Obi’s exit to the swollen financial reward offered by United. The Red Devils refute that charge, insisting that their planned route into the first team was more attractive than anything the Gunners could offer.
Given Arsenal’s attacking injury crisis – the title challengers are without their four first-choice forwards – Obi could have been fast-tracked into the senior team had he stayed. Myles Lewis-Skelly and Ethan Nwaneri – both Obi’s peers – have been regulars in the senior setup this season even before the spate of absentees.
Asked about his perceived reluctance to trust youth, Arteta bristled. “I don’t know what the perception is outside, but internally no,” he huffed. “The reality is very different, because those players [Lewis-Skelly and Nwaneri] are always with us. I guarantee you that if there is a player there that can help and impact the first team, he’s going to be with us.”
