Ex-Manchester United defender Paul Parker says his former club have secured two “fantastic” young prospects in Chido Obi and Ayden Heaven.

Obi arrived from Arsenal last summer while Heaven followed the same path in January. Speaking to BestBettingSites.com, Parker suggested that both will get regular opportunities to play for the Red Devils. He highlighted Obi’s start against Brentford last weekend as a prime example of that:

“Obi, who’s coming through and maybe you might look at him and say, he can be my number two striker… How much is that going to lift him? Knowing that the fact that he was sitting there as a young lad at Arsenal, decided he wanted to move for reasons I can only guess, and all of a sudden there he sees himself getting on that platform and being close to getting a run.”

“I mean, when you see Obi coming through and you see the two young players at Arsenal coming through at the same time, maybe Arsenal couldn’t promise him first-team football. I think there’s also the wages situation when Arsenal turn players professional, they can only pay them so much and I think Man United came and outbid them, as they did with [Ayden] Heaven as well, and they both have fantastic signings for Man United going forwards.”

Obi may have to be patient for more first-team starts

Joshua Zirkzee’s injury means that the Denmark youth international has been thrust into the limelight but the club are likely to reinforce their options up top this summer.

Wolves’ Matheus Cunha and (potentially) Ipswich’s Liam Delap could be brought in. If that happens, Obi might not get as much game time as he has been afforded in recent months.

Heaven’s progress at United has been halted by injury

The centre-back impressed many observers after head coach Ruben Amorim gave him a run of games earlier this year but he has not been seen in action since the last international break after injuring his leg against Leicester City.

It will be hoped that it is only a minor setback for Heaven, who has taken to senior football like a duck to water following his switch to Old Trafford.

See our Man United predicted XI for the game against Athletic Bilbao on Facebook here