The Danish under-18 team defeated Norway 5-3 on Saturday, and teenage attacker Chido Obi-Martin, who is currently waiting for the Premier League to accept his transfer to Manchester United, scored in his first game in three months.
After agreeing to a deal with the attacker back in July, the 16-year-old is anticipated to formally finalise his transfer from Arsenal to United in the upcoming weeks. To be clear, Obi-Martin cannot practise or play with his new teammates until the Premier League approves the contract.
Not that it has stopped the forward from generating headlines back home, though, as on Saturday he scored a goal for Denmark’s young squad against Norway, marking his first appearance in three months.
Before this weekend’s encounter, Morten Eskesen, the manager, acknowledged that he debated whether to activate Obi-Martin for the under-18 team, as he was absent at the beginning of the campaign while awaiting approval for his transfer to Old Trafford.
“Last week, I asked him if he was healthy and ready for the fight,” the coach said in an interview with Tipsbladet, a sports magazine published in Copenhagen. “He was, and he’s currently unemployed. He doesn’t have a club yet, but it will happen eventually. During the transfer window, a lot occurs.”
They had been lining up to grab him since I read about him. A dude like that would have no problem getting into a club, I’m sure. Perhaps it has more to do with the club he chooses.”
However, Eskesen acknowledged that he was not at all hesitant to call Obi-Martin up to the squad after the player’s impressive performance at the European Championships this summer, where he scored two goals en route to Denmark’s semi-final loss to Italy.
Eskesen continued, “His greatest competence is that he scores many goals.” “You saw some of the goals he scored at the European Championship? He’s a pretty strong positional finisher, so that gets him free. And he’s a wonderful man to man.
When it comes to securing free spaces, he excels at running in depth. He scores so many goals because of his ability to finish.
“Getting opportunities is step one; scoring is step two. He is so fascinating because he is above ordinary in that regard.”
