Chido Obi has outgrown academy football, Man United need to find the perfect loan spot

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Manchester United’s Under-21s continued with their pre-season preparations on Friday with a behind-closed-doors friendly at Carrington. Adam Lawrence’s side took on Ipswich U21s and blew them away with a convincing 5-1 win.

After appearing for Michael Carrick’s first team earlier in pre-season, the teenage pair of Chido Obi and Jim Thwaites both put their names on the scoresheet.

Obi scored twice, while Thwaites scored another of his trademark free-kicks. United’s scoring was rounded out by Victor Musa and Jayce Fitzgerald.

A final pre-season match against Aston Villa Under-21s is to come before some of the younger contingent head to the Netherlands for the U19s Otten Innovation Cup later this week.

Chido Obi needs senior football

The Danish striker’s dominance at U21s level has continued into pre-season as he put two goals past Ipswich on Friday, including a delicately placed curler into the top right corner.

The performance comes after a prolific last season that saw Obi score 20 goals across all competitions.

Taking big strides in his game, Obi’s hold-up play and pressing out of possession saw noticeable improvements over the past year, which, when combined with his stellar goalscoring record, has seen him outgrow underage football already despite being just 18.

Dropping out of Carrick’s squad for the recent matches suggests there is no place for Obi in the first team this season, but the youngster’s need for senior football means a good loan move is required.

With interest across the English lower leagues and Europe, it is important that United find the right development environment for the prized talent who was signed from Arsenal two years ago.

Why United should look toward Europe

Despite showing signs of rounding out his game, Obi has not quite adapted to the pace of first-team football in his limited opportunities. For this reason, United should look to Europe for his first loan.

Standing at nearly 1.90 metres at just 18 years old, Obi is still growing into his large frame physically. This means his coordination is not always fluid, but the extra yard of space in some European leagues would allow him to test the rest of his game at a high level as he continues to develop physically.

It is worth pointing out that United’s Benjamin Sesko was playing in the Austrian league at the same age and struggled with the same growth pains that take longer to work through than many wonderkids that fans are used to seeing burst onto the scene.

The easy option would be to send Obi to FC Lausanne-Sport in Switzerland, owned by Ineos, but the club should also consider the Netherlands.

A breeding ground for top forwards throughout the years, Obi can look to the likes of Dominic Solanke and, more recently, Troy Parrott, who have made the move from England and excelled in the Eredivisie.

With time on his side, United should take the long-term approach and not rush Obi into the dogfight that is English football. This decision could well see the club save tens of millions if Obi were to challenge Sesko for a spot in a couple of years.