Ruben Amorim has not dismissed the idea of including academy striker Chido Obi-Martin in the Manchester United first team during the current season. The 13-year-old, who transferred from Arsenal’s academy in the summer, has netted nine goals in 11 matches for the junior teams this season. United’s attacking options have significantly decreased since the season began, as Jadon Sancho, Antony, Marcus Rashford, and newcomer Ethan Wheatley have all been loaned out. The club chose not to pursue acquiring a new forward during the winter transfer window because they were not interested in a temporary fix. Rashford made his debut for United at the age of 18 in February 2016 when older forwards James Wilson and Ashley Fletcher were on loan, and Wayne Rooney, Anthony Martial, and Will Keane were injured. Currently, United’s strikers, Rasmus Hojlund and Joshua Zirkzee, are experiencing prolonged goal-scoring slumps. Hojlund hasn’t found the net in 13 matches, while Zirkzee has scored just once in his last 16 outings. Obi-Martin just celebrated his 17th birthday on November 29, and Amorim emphasized the importance of focusing on the development of Hojlund, who is turning 22 on Tuesday, and 23-year-old Zirkzee. “He’s fulfilling his role,” Amorim commented when discussing Obi-Martin. “He’s getting better and participating in the youth teams, and we also have other players available for that position… Rasmus and Josh are options we have.” We acquired these two players and aim to develop their skills; boosting their confidence can sometimes transform a player. “We’ll evaluate everything at the end of the season. In the meantime, we have two forwards who have a history of scoring, so let’s focus on enhancing our team’s performance to support them in finding the net.” Recent signings Patrick Dorgu and Ayden Heaven may make their first appearances in the fourth round of the FA Cup against Leicester City. Left back Dorgu, aged 20, signed with Lecce last week for £25 million, potentially increasing to £29 million. Meanwhile, 18-year-old Heaven transferred from Arsenal for an undisclosed amount. Amorim had mentioned previously that he would have the “final say” regarding signings, and he reaffirmed this while explaining the transaction process for Dorgu and Heaven. Both players were seen at Old Trafford last week.
