Arsenal have a number of talented youngsters coming through their academy ranks but Chido Obi-Martin has created the biggest interest as three nations vie for his services
Arsenal wonderkid Chido Obi-Martin has become one of the most in-demand teenagers in European football.
The Football Association have still not given up on getting him to pledge his international future to England even though the 16-year-old is playing for Denmark at the Euro under-17 Championships. Arsenal are also facing a battle to tie him down and have now made a fresh contract offer to him, although he cannot physically sign the professional deal until his 17th birthday in November.
They face competition from some of Europe’s top clubs who are all circling for the Danish-born centre forward who has made a reputation for plundering huge numbers of goals in Arsenal’s academy teams. Obi-Martin scored seven against Norwich in the under-18s and an incredible haul of ten goals against Liverpool earlier in the season.
That made major headlines and only turned up the attention on the striker who has represented England at under-16s level and is why the FA maintain an interest in him. While the FA are not expecting anything imminently, they keep tabs on dual nationality players and their technical director John McDermott is acutely aware of his talent.
Obi-Martin was born in Denmark but is also eligible for Nigeria but is playing for the country where he was born at the U17s Euros this summer. Obi-Martin scored in their quarter-final against Czech Republic this week which took the game to penalties and they won in the shootout.
Denmark are through to the semi-finals while England have gone out after losing to Italy on penalties in the tournament. Obi-Martin left his youth team in Denmark – Kjobenhavns Boldklub – at 14 to join Arsenal’s academy and his advisers know his worth as the Gunners battle to keep him as they hope they have a good crop coming through.
Arsenal teenager Ethan Nwaneri scored a wonder goal for England against Italy and is regarded as one of the shining lights of the academy. Teenager Max Dowman, 14, has also been earning rave reviews for the Gunners after training with the first team this season.
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