Why Man Utd Made Chido Obi Stay in the Academy This Season Even After His Debut with Ruben Amorim
Manchester United have decided to keep Chido Obi out of the first-team squads this season, even though he made his debut when he was just 17.
This season, a lot of young players have been making waves in the Premier League. Arsenal’s Max Dowman and Liverpool’s Rio Ngumoha are two big names, and United have also given chances to Shea Lacey, Jack Fletcher, Tyler Fletcher, and Bendito Mantato. Many fans are excited to see these young stars become regulars in the first team for years to come. But for some players, it takes a little longer to get there.
Chido Obi is a great example. The Denmark youth international joined United with lots of buzz after shining in Arsenal’s youth teams. Former United boss Ruben Amorim quickly brought him into the first team because some other forwards were struggling. Obi played in eight games but didn’t manage to score.
He hoped to get more chances this season after Rasmus Hojlund left and Joshua Zirkzee didn’t impress. However, Obi hasn’t been picked for the first team at all during the 2025-26 season. Amorim even mentioned that Obi wasn’t regularly starting for the U21s before he left, and things haven’t improved since Michael Carrick took over. So, what’s going on?
According to the Manchester Evening News, United have held back Obi’s first-team chances because they want him to improve some parts of his game. The coaches think he needs to work a lot on his movement off the ball. Even though he scored tons as a kid, playing against grown defenders is a whole new challenge.
Obi showed some of these improvements in a recent Premier League 2 play-off semi-final against Manchester City. The 18-year-old loved the physical battle, winning headers and scoring two goals in a 4-3 win. His manager even cheered him on, shouting “Well done Chido!” from the sidelines.
Could Michael Carrick give Obi a shot in the first team before the season ends? We’ll just have to wait and see!