Amorim Must Give ‘Unicorn’ Man Utd Academy Star his Debut v Tottenham

Manchester United’s injury curse that has rocked Old Trafford isn’t all doom and gloom because Chido Obi is chomping at the bit to become Ruben Amorim’s much-desired goalscoring machine. The Red Devils have no choice but to turn to the prolific Danish youngster, starting against Tottenham Hotspur on Sunday (February 16).

Amad Diallo, one of United’s only positives in a miserable campaign, is reportedly set to be out of action for months due to an ankle ligament injury. The Ivorian attacker has shined with six goals and as many assists in 22 league games, but Amorim will be without him, likely for the rest of the season.

The 22-year-old was his side’s top scorer, with Bruno Fernandes second on five goals, telling of how poor Amorim’s troops are in front of goal. New signing Joshua Zirkzee is third with just three goals to his name, while fellow strike partner Rasmus Hojlund is on two goals. There were already calls for a new striker to be signed in the summer, but Amad’s injury means the Red Devils must pull the trigger on Chido Obi’s senior career.

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The Dane is shattering goalscoring records at youth level

Amorim’s goalscoring problem was further evidenced by his decision to start English midfielder Kobbie Mainoo as a makeshift forward in a 2-0 defeat to Crystal Palace last time out in the Premier League. The 19-year-old is also set for a spell on the sidelines alongside Amad, and the pair will miss their side’s trip to Tottenham.

Chido Obi, who netted a hat-trick in a 5-1 win over Chelsea in the FA Youth Cup three days ago, has travelled with the United squad for the game against Spurs, and the 17-year-old is one of five United academy prospects who could feature in North London. Some may argue that it is way too soon for the Danish frontman to be thrust into the senior setup, especially because of how catastrophic they have been performing.

Chido Obi Manchester United Youth Statistics
Competition	UEFA Youth League	PL International Cup	U18 PL	FA Youth Cup	U18 PL Cup	National League Cup
Games	1	3	6	3	1	2
Minutes	10	150	337	270	72	92
Goals	0	1	5	7	1	1
Assists	0	0	2	0	0	1

This may be the opportune moment for the current FA Youth Cup top scorer to be bedded into Amorim’s first team when expectations are at an all-time low, and the Premier League giants are crying out for a shining light. The Old Trafford fanbase were hoping a high-profile January signing would do the trick, but the club’s financial situation is bleak.

Chido Obi, described as ‘a unicorn’ by Will Balsam, who covered his progress while working as a podcaster for Arsenal’s academy, joined United in October 2024, much to the ire of the Gunners’ Hale End academy, where he’d been wreaking havoc for their U18s, managing an astounding 32 goals in 21 games.

The hype has grown around the Glostrup-born teenager, and he’s finding the net for fun at youth level for the Red Devils, with 12 goals in nine outings, becoming the U18s Premier League record goalscorer along the way. Amorim was hesitant to promise that the four-cap Denmark international U18 international would appear against Spurs but acknowledged that the club had conducted data analysis on the striker.

The Dane has the technical abilities, goalscoring resume and pace to thrive for the Portuguese coach and could put the Reds’ expected pursuit of Viktor Gyokeres on the backburner if he replicates his youth displays at senior level.

All statistics courtesy of Playmakerstats – correct as of 15/02/2025.

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