Manchester United spent more than £ 200 million this summer on new signing sessions, but a lack of European football can leave some players briefly in a few minutes
A new name could be added to the long list of Manchester United summer deviations, and it is not a Ruben Amorim in mind. Denmark Under-21 Manager Lars Knudsen is Hoopvol Chido Obi can be minutes away from Old Trafford, with the first chances of the young striker who look limited.
OBI, who came to United from Arsenal last fall, received a debut from Amorim in the previous term. The 17-year-old played seven times in the Premier League, usually from the couch, and played 52 minutes against Fulham in the FA Cup fifth round.
However, part of it was due to a lack of other options, and that is not a problem. Amorim has added Benjamin Sesko, Matheus Cunha and Bryan Mbeumo to the Front Line of United, so that OBI stays back with the side of his club under 21 – with a lack of European football restrictions on.
This is not what Knudsen hoped for, with the Danish Outlet Bold Ceded The Boss as saying: “I can't stand here and say something about it, because it's something else than with me. It's just a lot we have for the national teams, because we know that playing time is crucial.
“This is for performance, but also for these young people in terms of developing themselves. Of course we hope that he will get where he can play.”
Obi, who is also eligible to represent England and Nigeria, seems to have nailed its colors with Denmark on the mast for the time being. He played twice for the under-21 side in March, but returned to the under-20 setup in the summer and scored in friendly matches against Congo and Japan.
Stefan Hojer, the manager of the under-21s during the euros of the summer, left for Aalborg with Knudsen. The Danes start their qualifying campaign for the 2027 under-21 euros in September with a trip to Wales.
A loan output for OBI could become a solution if the right club is identified. Colleague Youngs Ethan Wheatley and Toby Collyer both have agreed season-hose EFL movements, where Wheatley scored his first goal for Northhampton Town on Saturday.
In March, Amorim was full of praise for OBI and the young teammate Ayden Heaven, who also became a member of the Academy of Arsenal. “They are players with talent and then, when you have this moment with some injuries, they must be ready,” said the United Head Coach.
“It is our tradition to use players to play, especially at the moment. We have to concentrate on everything, the future is there and the young children can feel the club and can sometimes change things for us, without buying players.”