Arsenal have confirmed that Ayden Heaven has joined Manchester United on a permanent basis.
The 18 year old defender had been offered new terms by the club, and also had discussions with Eintracht Frankfurt, but has chosen to move to Old Trafford to continue his career.
The 18 year old featured during the pre-season tour of the USA, but in part there was room because of how many players were away on international duty during that summer.
He made his one senior appearance for the club this season in the 3-0 win over Preston in the Carabao Cup, but with the likes of Gabriel, Riccardo Calafiori and Jakub Kiwior ahead of him in the centre-half pecking order, the pathway to first team football with Arsenal was not obvious.
Best of luck to him in the future.
While I understand that there’s a lot of competition for his position in the squad, I’m still surprised that he would look at Nwaneri and MLS, and then decide he needs to leave in order to develop. Time will tell, but feels like a mistake, especially with United’s recent track record and volatility.
Correct and right ; wrongly advised by whoever. everyone is entitled to fight for their space, but the easiest way will be to walk away, especially when you are young and can improve.
Good luck to him.
I feel like if he had the quality of those 2 we would be trying a hell of a lot harder to keep him and give opportunities. In my Football manager visions, we sell Zinchenko and Tierney and replace them with Jorrel Hato (who we’ve been linked with loads in the past) a back line of MLS, Calafiori, Timber, Kiwior, Saliba White, Tomi and Hato is more than enough quality.
You just made Big Gabi disappear.
I don’t know, If I was looking at the group quality and age of defenders Arsenal have compared to Man Utd I definitely think I have better chances at Utd. They are shite show, we look like the best defence in the world! I can’t blame him
It’s fair enough if he feels the back line in the senior team is just too young and good. CB appearance cycles are way longer than CF.
But to United??? If he was a United fan he wouldn’t have joined our academy.
Maybe he can play in a back three?
United have aquired a manager addicted to playing that way, with the slight snag that they don’t have any players who can do it without their defence leaking like a sieve.
I’m guessing they are in “buy anyone available who can play as a back three” mode.
It’s going to be really fucking funny when they kick out Amorim and the next poor bastard through the door has to use a squad halfway through being rebuilt as something completely different.
This is about the shorter terms gains, methinks.
Is there a transfer fee or compensation associated with this? Or is it another one of those grey area ‘deals’ where he’ll go on loan immediately and then be sold for 20m profit like Hutchinson was with Chelsea?
I think a tribunal decides on a compensation package,
which tends to be a few thousand pounds, and some biscuits.
I’ll have the biscuits if no one else minds.
Depends on the biscuits to be fair. Bourbons you can stick up your arse, but some butter shortbread ones, we’d be fighting over them..
I think the tribunal only comes into place when the two clubs can’t agree on a fee. And it usually takes couple of months. But in this case Arsenal say “an agreement was reached between the clubs for an undisclosed fee”. Probably a small fee with a decent sell on clause, if I had to guess.
😂😆!! If the biscuits are yummy, all’s well!
Maybe he ends up in ipswich like Omari ?
Helping to balance the united books too.
Poor lad
A guy named Heaven joining the devils in Hell? It’s not a good start.
Destined for obscurity
Man U are likely offering him way more in terms of wages than Arsenal, which is a clever move financially for them if ( like with Omari H.) he is moved on 2 years later for millions to another club. It’s a win win for them .. either he comes good or they sell him for a good profit. If he had all aspects the current player profile I doubt Arsenal would be letting him go so easily.
Didn’t Chido Obi Martin also go there? Slightly worried at this trend.
I’d not be too worried at this point. There’s a continuing trend of hale end players being shown a pathway to being first team players, not everyone is going to make it (Saka, MLS) and not everyone is going to generate big fees (Eddie, ESR) but so long as there’s a pathway I can’t be too upset if a young player decides (for whatever reason) they’d rather go elsewhere.
I wouldn’t be. It’s normal for academy kids to go mid to lower league teams if they can’t make it at a top four club.
This is the answer I was looking for without knowing it.
He claimed he needed first-time opportunities at United. he still hasn’t made the bench and we have been looking for a striker with so many front-line injuries. Im certain he’s kicking himself. United is a terrible place for Young players, greenwood, elanga, garnacho, januzaj, long list of prospects that went into obscurity or haven’t developed in years. With the issues there he might get sold next season and still wouldn’t have got that first team football he needs.
…team..
Don’t forget Sancho who went from promising starlet to smelly poop in his time there. Depay too. Yes you’re right, nothing to be worried about here.
Well, either we won’t see him ever again. Or, he’ll be sold for 30 million after a successful loan somewhere and we’ll all be scratching our heads why we allowed that to happen. Either way I can’t muster the energy to wish him luck whilst he’s with that lot.
I foresee a “if only Ayden Heaven was here we’d not be in this pickle, Arteta out!” brigade coming out in force at some point.
That’s unlikely, the only things we will be irritated about are the funds when united inevitably sell him to offset a large purchase to facilitate amorin’s playing style… and that we can’t have a song for him based on John denver’s ‘country roads’
https://media.tenor.com/-mYC5PhHEx8AAAAM/the-godfather-al-pacino.gif
What does BBC mean when they say the fee is less than 30 million? Does it mean that it’s close to 30 million?
Players should be represented by vetted agents. No representatives or green agents.
Only ones which are recommended from a centralised database with user ratings.
It’s not difficult at all for the FA to setup.
*young players, obviously I didn’t mean senior players
Can understand if he was to move to increase his chances of playing. But to manu?
That’s a downgrade. Maybe he just feels he got a better chance to replace maguire than willo or big gap