Arsenal make 'improved' offer for 32-goal striker - Romano

Tom Weber

Updated: 3 Jul 2024 16:26 BST
3 min read

Arsenal have made an improved contract offer for Chido Obi-Martin, according to Fabrizio Romano.

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The youngster is the subject of an intense transfer tug-of-war after some stunning performances for Arsenal's youth teams. Last year, the 16-year-old Dane scored 10 goals in a single game against Liverpool, while netting seven against Norwich in April.

Obi-Martin is coming off a season in which he scored a stunning 32 goals for Arsenal's U18s and this has naturally attracted the attention of some big hitters. In recent weeks, German giants Bayern Munich and Borussia Dortmund have been courting the youngster.

In the wake of this, FootballTransfers was able to reveal that the teenager's family was pushing for a move to the Bundesliga, believing that it would be a better development pathway for him than remaining at Arsenal. If there is one aspect of Mikel Arteta's coaching that can be criticised, it is his inability to integrate academy talent into the first team.

Nevertheless, we were told by Arsenal sources that the Gunners were confident of tying Obi-Martin down to a new deal, which would initially be a scholarship contract before being turned professional on his 17th birthday in November. It seems, however, that their confidence was misplaced.

Arsenal make fresh offer

According to Fabrizio Romano, Arsenal have now felt compelled to present Obi-Martin with an improved offer in their attempts to stave off the German competition.

Romano reports that Mikel Arteta is pushing hard to keep the 16-year-old at the club, which tallies with our reporting that the Spaniard has drawn up a development plan for the striker, which would see him start pre-season with the senior side.

Despite the bumper new bid, Obi-Martin has still not made a decision on his future, reports Romano. The wonderkid is continuing talks with other suitors before deciding on whether to stay or go. The prospect of first-team minutes will heavily influence his choice.