It is always sad to see a player making a move for money rather than for the betterment of their career. And this sadness deepens when it involves a young player who is clearly being badly advised by those that just see him as a commodity, a cash cow.
Details of the Chido Obi-Martin have emerged in the last day or so which paints a bad picture for both the former-Arsenal teenager and his advisors.
The deal on the table from the Arsenal was reportedly for £15,000 a week. This is the top end of what we pay our 16-year-olds when they sign their first professional contract with us. The majority of youngsters sign for a lot less.
This sort of money is usually offered to those young players who the club expect to be breaking into the first team squad before they reach 18. Think Bukayo Saka.
The offer highlights just how highly the club rated Obi-Martin. But Manchester United have blown us out of the water.
Reports are that Man U have doubled Arsenal’s offer – with Obi-Martin set to earn in the region of £30,000 a week. Over 2 years – the maximum length contract a 16-year-old can sign, that is the difference between earning north of £3m and earning “just” £1.5m.
The figures are not huge considering what Obi Martin may earn if he continues his progression, but for a teenager yet to play a game they are massive. The £3m on the table from Man U would mean that Obi Martin could retire at 18 and never work again!
Considering the situation at Man U right now, it is clear that Obi Martin and his people have valued money earned over the next two-years above what is best for his entire career.
To further illustrate the move is all about greed, Obi Martin’s representatives have reportedly demanded £1.7m commission to make the deal happened. This is not money that goes into the players pockets, but money that goes into his handlers.
And handlers is very much what Obi Martin has.
The Danish forward is not the first youngster to be moved from club to club to benefit those that control him, and he will not be the last. Football is littered with teenagers who were encouraged to move for the money, and then never fulfilled their potential.
Agents who have their clients best interest at heart will ensure any move is to a club that will develop the player, and help them reach their full potential. They will know the real riches in football are when your career progresses. They are not interested in making a quick buck off a 16-year-old.
We should not be surprised by Obi Martin and his representatives actions. We poached him as 14-year-old from his native Denmark.
Whilst a move from Kjøbenhavns Boldklub to Arsenal is likely to be for football reasons, I imagine we sweetened the deal with payments to friends, family and the player. The move to Man U is clearly solely based on finances.
And I would not be surprised if in 2-years history repeats itself once more.
As mentioned, a 16-year-old can only sign a 2-year contract. Most will usually then sign a 3-year deal at 17, taking them through to their 20th birthday, and then a 4-year deal at 18. This is the progression most young players go through at almost every top club.
I would put money on Obi Martin not signing a new deal with Man U when he turns 17, and instead in 2 -years he and his handlers will re-assess their options. His handlers will likely pimp him out across Europe again to see if they can get him more money. And at the same time bolster their pockets with more commission.
By losing the greedy wonderkid, Arsenal rid themselves of being in the exact same situation again in 12-months.
If a player at 16 only has money on his mind, or is being influenced by handlers who have no interest in their career, then we are better off without them. the names Nicolas Anelka and Paul Pogba come to mind.
Chido Obi Martin might go on to become one of the best in the world. The won that got away. But he is more likely to be the next Marcus McGuane.
Enjoy your Thursday.
Keenos
She Wore A Yellow Ribbon 
did he not look at Balogen or Omari Hutchinsons situation
where are they now!
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he won’t show loyalty to man united – 30k a week, his next contract if he doesn’t make the break through then what will he request.
alot has been made out of arsenal not giving chances . Cozier duberry left – but if he had signed a contract and we sent him put on loan , would a team like Brighton take him on loan ? No because they wouldn’t want to give him game time only for him to come back to us.
Omari Hutchinson left for Chelsea- yet arsenal had agreed a loan with a championship club once he signed a contract. Instead he left even though he was making the bench of the first team towards the last month of that season. He left as he believed he should be given game time and then spent a year in chelsea’s youth set up and then sent on loan to Ipswich last season. Now he has been sold to them for a club record – but he wasted a year and on top of that he isn’t proven in the pl and to be recorded signing for a club who will be fighting relegation and midlevel battles how will he cope ?
back to cozier – he has played well in the friendlies and I hope he does well, but this flack that arsenal don’t give players a chance is ridiculous.
man united may have given alot of minutes but look at the big expensive flops they have had. Sakha, smith rowe, willock, Nelson, mainland niles , nketiah, balogun have all come through in the past 5-6 years , United have given garnacho and mainoo game time and being praised as some sort of ajax .
it’s a farce
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Watching Sky who claim United offered LESS but a clearer path for first team minutes
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His career is over before it starts. I had to argue with some idiots on Jeorges Arsenal academy website ( not mentioning the sites name, but you all know it), that hecwas leaving for money reasons and that he was disloyal to the club who trained him for free.
They ( bloggers called King and bram–69) argued that he went to Manu because of the manager being better at giving youngsters a chance in the first team than Arteta, which is BS.
I am glad you proved me right that he was disloyal and wrongly advised by greedy parents and agents all after a quick buck.
He will be playing at Manu with fellow academy players that may not be as creative as the players he played with at Arsenal who new his runs and supplied his scoring chances.
He may not be so prolific in a less creative side and hence his amount of goals will become less and unnoticed. Bad early decision and like so many others that have left Arsenal too early you may get forgotten.
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Has Kido-Obi even come nearer to the loads of goals Nketiah scored at youth level?? Probably not. To hell with his egos.
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I am a Manchester United fan and my comment may be unconsciously biased but it is still worth considering.
In terms of a footballing decision, the facts suggest Man Utd is the better path (4924 minutes played by teenagers compared to 13 minutes at Arsenal last season).
It is also erroneous to say his decision was totally financial with Fabrizio Romano confirming pathway was key in his decision and that he turned down higher offers from Germany.
Lastly, he’s not the only young player that recently left due to lack of a clear pathway into the first team.
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It is up to players to create their own clear pathway to the first team. If they are good enough, they will get game time.
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He is big strong fast with a good finish, and he has bossed boys football.
But he hasn’t bossed men anywhere in his career yet. He hasn’t in PL2. He hasn’t gone on 2nd half season loan to L1 or L2 against experienced professional men, and made a splash. He hasn’t had a season in the Championship against professional men who are even faster and more talented than in the lower leagues, and caught the eye and proved he can contribute at that level, not just goals but the off the ball mental skills in defensive shape and transition. Until he’s played consistently well against men at those professional levels and the scout reports are excellent, how can any Prem club offer him “clear pathway into the first team”? They can’t until seeing those scout reports of him consistently competing well against professional men.
Added to the crazy over the top money splashed on Yoro and Zirkzee, there’s a zany pattern of behaviour developing at this Man Utd – like an inexperienced recruitment team actually believing all the pitch and brochures the salesmen are giving them, rather than trusting a year or more supply of scout reports.
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He is big and strong for his age. Step up from boys football to mans his huge.
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Salty as fuck, enjoy winning nothing like usual next year.
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This is a mere cry for losing out on a talent. The dream of every players is to win trophies but in arsenal they can’t win, so I believe he made a good choice, of course money is good to have… Just wish him well and let’s vibes along with his success. I am Real Madrid fan.
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arsenal fans are delusional if they think he only joined united because of money!! Just look at the pathway to first team football at a club like Manchester United.. that’s what you should be talking about…but Arsenal this boy will come back to haunt you I can feel it
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You are probably right. It is harder for teams to make the first team at title challenges like Arsenal. Better for players to join a lesser team lower down the league.
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well said, Keenos. Arteta is giving a chance to Myles Lewis and Nwaneri, even though we have no injury issues. Manu have some injuries according to media reports, and one of their main strikers is injured, let’s see how fast Obi even makes it to the Manu bench, because if that’s not an opportunity I don’t know what is.
Let’s see this measure of Manu fast tracking.
Arsenal have no injuries, and yet Academy players Nwaneri and Myles gets a chance on the bench anyway and a pre-season gamecat least, but Manu do have injuries and no excuses, so let’s see if Obi gets a chance on the bench, as the door should be fully open, if he has made the right choice.
We shall see if it is just false Manu Promises or just greed and disloyalty, as most fans suspect.
See if Manu now fast tracks him like Arteta has with Nwaneri and Myles, seeing as the Manu door should be fully opened through injuries. He should at least get a preseason game like Nwaneri and Myles has already if he is being fast tracked, should he not?
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cry me a river!
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