Manchester United News

Home

Quizzes

Newsletter

Mikkel Beckmann wants youngster to quit Man United for regular football elsewhere

Originally posted on We All Follow United
By Shrishh Attavar | Last updated Sep 27, 2025 11:06 PM ET

Mikkel Beckmann has thrown cold water on the idea that Chido Obi-Martin will break into Manchester United’s first team any time soon, and his comments will hit home for those already worried about the 17-year-old’s development. The former Denmark international believes the forward may need to look beyond Old Trafford if he wants proper senior minutes in the near future.

Speaking to Viaplay via MEN, Beckmann made his stance clear. The intensity and relevance of Under-21 and reserve football simply does not compare, and he doesn’t see Ruben Amorim taking the leap yet. In his view, United’s structure and depth up front mean Obi-Martin is very, very far from the first team and might benefit more from playing senior football at a higher level elsewhere.

“The reserve team matches… it doesn’t taste particularly good. It’s like when we have our Future Cup matches at home. It’s the reserves who play, and it’s just far from the same as playing first-team football,”

“I just don’t think the time is right for Amorim to suddenly try Chido Obi out at United.”

“He is very, very far from the first team at United. I would like to see him play some senior football at a higher level than just reserves at United.”

It’s blunt, but he isn’t wildly off the mark. Last season, Obi-Martin trained with the seniors on several occasions under Amorim. He was also on the fringes of a couple of matchday squads. That brief exposure sparked optimism about a breakthrough.

But the landscape has completely changed. United have stocked up on forwards across the senior and development groups, limiting his progression to benches and B-team fixtures.

This season he has remained parked with the Under-21s, where he has continued to show his finishing instincts and physical upside against youth opposition. In four games this season, he has scored three goals.

What next for the lad?

But reserve-level games can only stretch a player so far. The path from academy to Old Trafford’s front line is now more congested than it was 12 months ago, and patience only stays admirable for so long before it turns into frustration. Even now, it is not too late. He can still play second-fiddle to Bejamin Sesko who has not had an easy start to life at United.

From United’s point of view, they will argue that careful development protects a high-value asset — especially one still eligible for youth football. But the timing matters. When a teenager gets a sniff of senior involvement before being nudged back down the ladder, it risks stalling momentum and morale.

Amorim has clearly prioritised ready-made options this season, and that has left players like Obi-Martin in limbo. If the Red Devils could be smart enough to play him in the Cup Competitions, the player would also retain confidence in the club. Either that, or a loan-move elsewhere, ideally abroad, to try him out in different conditions and get back a better-rounded player.

The route to the United first team is long and unforgiving, and other big academies have lost talents by holding them in the bubble too long. Talent isn’t in doubt. The question now is where he gets the minutes to prove it.

This article first appeared on We All Follow United and was syndicated with permission.

More must-reads: