Chido Obi in talks over Bundesliga loan as United weigh eight-figure Amazon documentary deal

Manchester United striker Chido Obi has begun talks over a loan move to Bundesliga club FC Köln, according to reports, as the club look to accelerate the 18-year-old’s development ahead of the 2025/26 season.

Obi arrived at Old Trafford from Arsenal in 2024 and made eight first-team appearances during the 2024/25 campaign before being restricted to youth football this term. Despite that limited senior exposure, he impressed at academy level, scoring 20 goals and contributing six assists across the Under-18 and Under-20 sides. United are said to believe a temporary switch to Germany would give Obi the consistent senior minutes he needs to continue his progression.

Negotiations over the loan agreement are understood to be at an early stage, with both clubs working towards a deal for the upcoming season.

Separately, former Manchester City financial adviser Stefan Borson has claimed that United have reached an agreement with Amazon Prime to document their entire 2026/27 season as part of the broadcaster’s ‘All or Nothing’ series. The fly-on-the-wall format has previously featured Arsenal, Tottenham Hotspur and Manchester City.

Borson told Football Insider that the deal would likely be worth between £10 million and £15 million for the club. “It’s probably worth £10m-£15m, and obviously it’s a pretty high-margin asset sale. There’s not a lot of cost there,” he said. “What you’re giving up is the access — allowing cameras in places where you haven’t let them be before, recording stuff and losing editorial control. So look, if it’s a good season, then it’s great.”

The financial upside is clear for a club that has been working to stabilise its books under INEOS ownership, though Borson acknowledged the reputational risk if the season on the pitch fails to deliver.

On the football side, United’s pre-season begins on Thursday, 9 July, with Michael Carrick’s squad embarking on a European tour that takes in fixtures against Wrexham, Rosenborg, Atlético Madrid, Paris Saint-Germain and Leeds United across Finland, Norway, Ireland, Sweden and Poland. Nine first-team players remain absent, still involved in the ongoing World Cup with their respective national sides.