Chido Obi-Martin: Arsenal look away now - young prodigy scores hat-trick on Manchester United Under-18s debut | OneFootball

Obi-Martin turned down a professional contract at Arsenal and has wasted no time in making his mark at United

Arsenal were given a bitter reminder of what they have lost when teenage sensation Chido Obi-Martin scored a hat-trick inside 14 minutes of his debut for Manchester United Under-18s.

Obi-Martin confirmed his move to United this month after turning down professional terms at Arsenal and deciding to leave the Gunners.

The 16-year-old forward instead joined United and has wasted little time in making his mark at Old Trafford.

Obi-Martin made his first start for United Under-18s in Saturday’s 6-0 win against Nottingham Forest and showed why there is so much excitement around him by scoring a brilliant treble.

He got his first goal inside the opening 20 seconds when he capitalised on a poor back-pass and rounded the goalkeeper to score.

His second goal came with a neat finish from the edge of the area after five minutes and he completed his hat-trick on 14 minutes with a first-time finish close range.

Obi-Martin looks a really exciting prospect and losing him was a major blow to Arsenal.

He first came to prominence in 2023 when he scored 10 goals in an U-16 match against Liverpool. He went on to score 29 goals in 17 U-18 Premier League matches last season.

Obi-Martin, who was born in Denmark, has represented both Denmark and England at youth level but featured in the Danes at the UEFA Euro U-17 tournament.

Talent: Chido Obi-Martin first came to prominence in 2023 when he scored 10 goals for Arsenal in an U-16 match against Liverpool

Arsenal FC via Getty Images

He reportedly rejected serval lucrative offers from clubs in Germany, while Newcastle were also interested in him before he signed for United.

Confirming his move to United this month, Obi-Martin said: “Very happy to sign with this amazing club, time to focus and achieve all my dreams.”