Man United's Chido Obi joins Willem II on loan, following Alexander Isak's path to the Eredivisie

Manchester United forward Chido Obi has completed a season-long loan move to Eredivisie side Willem II, with the Dutch club hoping the teenage striker can replicate the impact Alexander Isak made during his own spell in Tilburg back in 2019.

The move was finalised after the English transfer window had already closed, making it one of the more unusual pieces of business in United’s otherwise quiet summer. Willem II had gone winless in their opening three Eredivisie matches of the season and moved to strengthen their attacking options — with Obi’s arrival generating attention well beyond the Netherlands.

“It’s definitely an eye-catching signing,” Voetbal International journalist and Willem II expert Rob Aarts told MEN Sport. “Manchester United is a really big club, and if Willem II as a club gets mentioned in the global media, that’s very odd for them. So you can name it a very special transfer in that way.”

Willem II, who earned promotion back to the Eredivisie last season, carry a reputation in the Netherlands for developing young talent within an attacking 4-3-3 system. Aarts described them as “the Ajax of the south” for their commitment to positive football and giving youth a platform — a culture that should suit Obi.

However, Aarts does not expect Obi to walk straight into the starting line-up. Twenty-two-year-old Devin Haen is currently the club’s first-choice striker and has started the season well. “I think Haen will start the next couple of games,” Aarts said, though he added that Willem II have not brought Obi in merely to warm the bench. “I think there will be a serious competition between them.”

The third striker at the club, 34-year-old Thomas Verheydt, is described by Aarts as more of a super-sub, meaning Obi’s arrival gives manager a genuine third option with significant upside. “He has a lot of potential,” Aarts noted.

The most compelling context for Obi’s loan is the precedent set by Isak. The current Liverpool striker — who became the most expensive player in Premier League history last summer — arrived at Willem II from Borussia Dortmund in January 2019 and scored 14 goals in 18 appearances before earning a permanent move to Real Sociedad. That trajectory will not be lost on Obi or the club.