Who is Ayden Heaven? The Arsenal youngster wanted by Man Utd and Chelsea

Cameron Smith

• 23 Dec 2024 13:30 GMT
• 4 min read

Arsenal have one of the best academy systems in the Premier League and several top-class players are currently rising through the ranks at Hale End.

Ethan Nwaneri and Myles Lewis-Skelly have followed in Bukayo Saka’s footsteps by graduating into the first-team at the Emirates Stadium, while Ayden Heaven could be next.

The talented teenager has been involved in a number of senior training sessions, but he is due to become a free agent next summer and some of the biggest clubs in Europe are interested in landing him.

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So, why is Heaven and why would losing him be a massive blow for Arsenal?

What position does Ayden Heaven?

Heaven is a central defender. He can feature at left-back or in central midfield if necessary.

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How good is Ayden Heaven?

Heaven is considered to be one of the brightest young prospects in Arsenal’s famed academy, and he is expected to enjoy an extremely successful career at the top level.

The England youth international joined Arsenal from West Ham United at the age of 13 and he made his first senior appearance for the Gunners during a 3-0 win over Preston North End in October 2024.

A composed left-footed central defender, Heaven is adept at bringing the ball out from defence and his defensive acumen is already very high for a player with such little experience.

He is regarded incredibly highly at Arsenal, as shown by Mikel Arteta’s desire to include him in senior training sessions.

Furthermore, after his appearance against Manchester United in pre-season ahead of the 2024-25 campaign, Mikel Arteta told reporters: “Very impressive. At 17, I don’t know how many players are able to do that on a stage like this.

“He’s lost a duel against one of the strongest and fastest players in the world [Rasmus Hojlund], it can happen, but the reaction afterwards, the composure, the quality, the body language that he had were all remarkable. I’m really happy with him.”

Heaven has already been included in Arsenal’s Premier League matchday squad on a number of occasions, and the Gunners are determined to retain the youngster as they look to integrate him into the first-team soon.

What clubs are interested in Ayden Heaven?

Heaven is being monitored by a host of top English clubs, with Arsenal at risk of losing the youngster in a similar fashion to the recent departures of Omari Hutchinson and Chido Obi-Martin.

In fact, Chelsea, Liverpool, Manchester City, Manchester United, Newcastle United, Bayern Munich, Borussia Dortmund, Bayer Leverkusen, Napoli and Marseille are all interested in the youngster, according to TBR Football.

How old is Ayden Heaven?

Heaven was born on 22 September 2006. He is 18 years old at the time of writing.

When does Ayden Heaven’s contract expire?

Heaven’s current Arsenal contract runs until 30 June 2025.

What is Ayden Heaven’s Instagram?

Heaven’s Instagram account is @aydenheaven. He has 40.8k followers as of December 2024.