Chido Obi left Arsenal for Manchester United last year to go in search of greater first-team opportunities. And he was rewarded for taking the leap of faith by making eight senior appearances last season, with seven of them coming in the Premier League.
Obi will still be 17 years old until late November, but the scale of his Arsenal exploits at youth level whipped up serious hype and marked him as a young player to keep an eye on. In November 2023 he scored 10 goals in an Under-16s game, and the following April he netted seven in one match for the Under-18s. Obi ended up shattering Arsenal's Under-18 record goals total for a single season with 27, surpassing the previous benchmark set by Folarin Balogun.
It was therefore seen as a major coup when the Red Devils nabbed him from Arsenal's academy. And ahead of a campaign in which he will celebrate his 18th birthday, United fans are eager to learn about how the club plan to aid his development.
The first things to note are the two major changes made during the current off-season. For one, Obi's squad number has been switched from 56 to 32, which was worn by Carlos Tevez during his time at Old Trafford.
And secondly, Obi has visibly bulked up over the last two months. Those changes taken in tandem hint at greater responsibility being just around the corner for the teenage centre-forward, who will go into the season sporting a number fit for a first-team player and a frame fit for a Premier League striker.
According to The Athletic, United's plan for Obi is likely to involve him being regularly named in first-team squads, with his Under-21s duties being reduced to 'occasional' appearances.
It is also said that senior figures at Carrington consider Obi a 'first-team squad member' despite his age. The Danish youth international was fairly anonymous during the handful of games he played towards the back end of last season. But he will hope to change that in 2025/26, when he will be several months further along in the maturing process.
Obi may also take confidence from the brace he scored in a friendly win over Hong Kong in May - his first goals in senior football.
The former Arsenal wonderkid is not the only prodigious talent hoping to work his way into Ruben Amorim's plans. The likes of Harry Amass, Ayden Heaven, Tyler Fredricson and new signing Diego Leon will also be hoping to prove a point this pre-season as competition for places heats up.