Ruud van Nistelrooy played ‘crucial’ role in luring youngster away from Arsenal

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Manchester legend Ruud van Nistelrooy reportedly played a key role in an Arsenal youngster leaving the north London club.

The Gunners have taken a youth approach to their pre-season plans this summer due to players competing in the latter stages of the Copa America and Euro 2024, with a number of youngsters heading out to America.

Ethan Nwaneri impressed for Arsenal against United, whilst Mikel Arteta is at work converting Myles Lewis-Skelly into a left-back as the north London side look to bring through a number of academy graduates into the first-team for the new season.

Yet one highly-rated youngster is now set to leave Arsenal in part to Van Nistelrooy.

Chido Obi-Martin to join Manchester United from Arsenal after Van Nistelrooy talks

According to Fabrizio Romano, Arsenal wonderkid Chido Obi-Martin is set to join United after talks with club legend Van Nistelrooy, who returned to Old Trafford this summer to take up a role as Erik Ten Hag’s assistant.

Romano posted: “Understand Ruud van Nistelrooy held direct talks with Chido Obi-Martin to present him Man United project for long term. Van Nistelrooy, crucial to get the green light from Chido as deal is done and set to be signed.”

With Obi-Martin having a record-breaking year for Arsenal at youth level, losing the Danish youngster to United of all clubs will sting for the Gunners, especially with a former rival in Van Nistelrooy pulling the strings on the deal.

Indeed, Obi-Martin showed last season that he could be part of Arteta’s senior plans after another year or so in the academy, yet it appears that the north London side will now see the 16-year-old develop at Old Trafford instead of the Emirates Stadium.

Obi-Martin has made a big mistake in swapping Arsenal for United

United’s youth development in recent years has been as hit and miss as they come for a top-six Premier League side, with Kobbie Mainoo and Alejandro Garnacho arguably the two best products to come from the Red Devils’ academy since the breakthrough of Marcus Rashford in 2016.

And for Obi-Martin, swapping Arsenal for United is nothing short of unusual, with the striker unlikely to break into Ten Hag’s senior plans for at least another year, with the forward unlikely to learn anything new compared to what would have happened with the Gunners.

Moreover, with the gap between Arsenal and United as big as it has been in some years, it might not be long before Obi-Martin realises that staying in north London was the right idea for his career, especially if little happens in the next 12 months in Manchester.