Amorim given fresh transfer headache by manager as Man Utd exit hope detailed

Manchester United have spent more than £200million on new signings this summer but a lack of European football could end up leaving some players short on minutes

There could be a new name added to the long list of Manchester United's summer departures, and it's not one Ruben Amorim had in mind. Denmark Under-21 manager Lars Knudsen is hopeful Chido Obi can get minutes away from Old Trafford, with the young striker's first-team opportunities looking limited.

Obi, who joined United from Arsenal last autumn, was handed a debut by Amorim last term. The 17-year-old played seven times in the Premier League, mostly from the bench, and played 52 minutes against Fulham in the FA Cup fifth round.

Part of that was due to a lack of other options, though, and that isn't an issue this term. Amorim has added Benjamin Sesko, Matheus Cunha and Bryan Mbeumo to United's front line, leaving Obi back with his club's Under-21s side - with a lack of European football restricting opportunities further.

This isn't what Knudsen was hoping for, with Danish outlet Bold quoting the boss as saying: "I can't stand here and say anything about that, because it's somewhere else than with me. It's just a hope we have for the national teams, because we know that playing time is crucial.

"This is both for performance, but also for these young people in terms of developing themselves. Of course, we hope that he will get somewhere where he can play."

Obi, who is also eligible to represent England and Nigeria, appears to have nailed his colours to the mast with Denmark for now. He played twice for the Under-21 side in March, but returned to the Under-20 setup over the summer and scored in friendlies against Congo and Japan.

Stefan Hojer, the manager of the Under-21s during the summer's Euros, has left for Aalborg with Knudsen taking over. The Danes begin their qualification campaign for the 2027 Under-21 Euros in September with a trip to Wales.

A loan exit for Obi could end up being a solution if the right club is identified. Fellow youngsters Ethan Wheatley and Toby Collyer have both agreed season-long EFL moves, with Wheatley scoring his first goal for Northampton Town on Saturday.

Back in March, Amorim was full of praise for Obi and young team-mate Ayden Heaven, who also joined from Arsenal's academy. "They are players with talent and then, when you have this moment with some injuries, they have to be ready," the United head coach said.

"It's our tradition to put players in to play, especially in this moment. We have to focus on everything, the future is right there and the young kids can feel the club and can change things sometimes for us, without buying players."