Mirror Football
2026年9月3日
Manchester United sealed a loan move for Chido Obi on deadline day, and the reflections of Alexander Isak and Benfica star Vangelis Pavlidis on their own breakthroughs at Willem II will give the club real optimism about his development. The 18‑year‑old joined the Dutch side after making eight senior appearances for United.
Isak, who became a British transfer‑record signing when he joined Liverpool from Newcastle United for £125million last summer, spent a season on loan at Willem II from Borussia Dortmund after struggling for regular minutes in Germany. Arriving in Tilburg at 20, he described that spell as 'the most important season of my career', saying the pressure to deliver became the catalyst for everything that followed.
He spoke about the value of minutes and how the club gave him the platform to prove himself when opportunities elsewhere were limited. "That season at Willem II was the most important season of my career," Isak previously said.
"Because that step, knowing I had to deliver, it's what made everything else possible. In football, you never know when the next chance is going to come, and so you take it.
"Obviously, as a young player, you need time on the pitch. If you're not getting that, all you can do is train harder... I knew my chance would come, even if it wasn't there, I knew it would come at another club and I wanted to be ready."
Greek forward Pavlidis followed a similar path, joining the Eredivisie side on loan from VfL Bochum at the age of 20. "Willem II was very important for my career," he recalled.
"I was still looking for my position on the pitch, at that time I wasn't a number 9 yet. [So] to be at a club in the Eredivisie, to play and score goals in the league, to play the cup final, the European competitions, it was incredible."
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Pavlidis went on to spend three years at AZ Alkmaar before making the switch to Lisbon to strengthen Portuguese giants Benfica in 2024. He has scored 71 goals in 118 Liga Portugal appearances to date.
Earlier this summer, Pavlidis was linked with a Premier League move, with Tottenham and Aston Villa both reported to be interested in the striker. Serie A pair AC Milan and Roma also explored potential deals.
Barcelona were credited with an interest too, but Benfica made it clear they would only consider selling Pavlidis if an irresistible offer arrived. His release clause is set at €100m (£86m).
The Red Devils will be hoping for a similar success story with Chido, who is viewed internally as a star of the future. The teenager made his United debut against Tottenham in February 2025 and has eight senior appearances to his name.
He spent last season with the Under‑21s, scoring 15 goals in 31 matches, and has been a regular across multiple academy competitions - the EFL Trophy, National League Cup, FA Youth Cup, Premier League 2 and the International Under‑21s Cup.
United believe those fixtures have accelerated Obi's development and given him valuable experience ahead of his loan spell. The youngster arrived at Old Trafford in 2024 after spending four years in Arsenal's academy.
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