Obi-Martin: Everything you need to know about Man Utd's star youth striker

For a 17-year-old with no senior appearances, there is already plenty of hype surrounding Chido Obi-Martin.

On Wednesday, Arsenal fans flooded social media, regretting the one that got away as soon as reports surfaced that Kai Havertz’s injury could potentially end his season.

Meanwhile, Manchester United supporters have begun wondering if the record-breaking striker, who has netted a staggering 41 goals at Premier League Under-18 level, could be the one to fill the void left by Marcus Rashford.

Some Arsenal supporters believe that had Obi-Martin stayed at the Emirates, he would already be playing first-team football. "He would have been in the Arsenal first team if he had stayed,” an Arsenal YouTuber told 22,800 followers on X. “This would have been his season to shine as a first-team striker,” another popular Arsenal fan account posted.

This season, Obi-Martin has 12 goals in nine FA Youth Cup and Under-18 league matches, a strike rate that is capturing attention from both fanbases.

Hours after news of Havertz’s injury emerged, Obi-Martin delivered a statement performance, netting a clinical hat-trick in Manchester United’s 5-1 FA Youth Cup victory over Chelsea.

His next challenge? Arsenal in the quarter-finals.

With United’s first team struggling for goals, Ruben Amorim was asked directly about Obi-Martin’s chances of a senior call-up before last weekend’s FA Cup win over Leicester City.

The Portuguese manager remained cautious in his response:"He's doing his job. He's improving and playing in the youth teams. We will see at the end of the season."

However, Amorim is no stranger to trusting young talent. As Sporting Lisbon boss, he handed Geovany Quenda his senior debut in August, just three months after his 17th birthday.

If Obi-Martin continues his rapid rise, he could follow in the footsteps of Kobbie Mainoo and Alejandro Garnacho, both of whom made their senior debuts as teenagers.

United has a long history of giving opportunities to 16 and 17-year-olds, and Obi-Martin’s remarkable goal-scoring form could make him the next young star to emerge from Carrington.