Man Utd sent young striker Chido Obi on loan to Dutch club Willem II late in the summer transfer window.
Chido Obi joined Willem II on loan.(Image: ANP)
View Image
Chido Obi quietly made his debut for Willem II over the weekend, coming off the bench with eight minutes remaining.
It was a low-key appearance for a young player who had constantly made headlines after signing for Manchester United two years ago due to the intrigue surrounding his move from Arsenal.
Obi ripped defences apart during his time at Arsenal's academy and his transfer to United was described by sources as a "genuine coup." United did well to convince Obi that he should move to Manchester amid interest from Europe, and he was prolific during his first season at the club.
Obi was a monster at academy level, scoring 16 goals in 19 youth appearances in 2024/25, and there were clear signs of quality in his first-team appearances, albeit along with equal amounts of signs of greenness.
Ruben Amorim eventually admitted that Obi was exposed to the first team too soon out of necessity, and the decision was made for him to play exclusively in academy fixtures last season to help his development.
Obi's biggest challenge was to improve his off-the-ball work, and he definitely improved that area of his game across the campaign, with coaches agreeing after a game against Manchester City's U18s in February that it had come on leaps and bounds.
However, while the 18-year-old ended the season in a better place than he'd started, he had not improved to the extent to be given first-team opportunities by Michael Carrick in pre-season.
Obi featured against Rosenborg in Trondheim but wasn't involved in any other pre-season friendly, which pointed to his exit on loan, and a late deal was agreed with Dutch club Willem II after the British transfer deadline.
Reacting to Obi's arrival, Willem II technical director Freek Heerkens said: "Chido is a young, talented striker who is at an important moment in his development.
"He has been able to develop in a top-level sports environment at Manchester United over the past few years and is now eager to gain experience. We can help him with that, and the Eredivisie is an excellent platform for it.
"At the same time, with Chido, our squad is bringing in a striker whose qualities can be of value to the team."
The Manchester Evening News wrote in April: "The Eredivisie in the Netherlands feels like a good fit for the young striker's next move."
It wouldn't have been the right choice to send Obi down the divisions in England given where his game is at. The Championship is where United tend to send highly-rated youngsters on loan, but he did not look ready to cut it in one of the most physically demanding leagues in the world.
It's going to be fascinating to see how Obi gets on at Willem II, who can provide senior minutes and give him a platform to perform.
Alexander Isak once spent a half-season on loan at Willem II from Borussia Dortmund. Nobody is expecting Obi to become the 'next Isak' after 12 months away, but it does feel like he is fighting for his future at United to some extent.
Obi needed to receive constant instructions from coaches on the touchline throughout academy games. It had become a running joke that no other player's name was heard more often than Obi's during academy fixtures, but that won't wash at Willem II.
During a sit-down with U21 boss Adam Lawrence toward the end of last season, he said the shouts of 'Chido!' were evidence of "really believing" in him, pushing him for more, but the penny should have dropped by now.
Obi needs to show that he can score goals in the senior game this season. He had the advantage of towering above the opposition in youth games and must find a way to continue to progress.
United should know whether they have a striker for the future by the end of his loan spell.