Arsenal is reportedly making a desperate attempt to keep young defender Ayden Heaven as he nears a transfer to Manchester United in the January window. The 18-year-old has caught the attention of many within the Arsenal academy and made his first-team debut in a Carabao Cup match against Preston North End. However, despite his potential, he has yet to make an appearance in the Premier League, remaining an unused substitute on three occasions this season.
Several clubs across Europe have taken note of Heaven’s situation, believing they could poach him from Arsenal. Premier League teams like Chelsea, Liverpool, Manchester City, and Newcastle United are interested, alongside Bundesliga clubs such as RB Leipzig, Borussia Dortmund, and Eintracht Frankfurt. However, it seems Manchester United is leading the race for his signature.
In a last-ditch effort to retain him, Arsenal offered Heaven a professional contract. Unfortunately for the Gunners, reports indicate that this move was considered too little, too late. Meanwhile, Heaven was spotted attending United’s recent Europa League match against Rangers and is expected to finalize his paperwork with the club soon.
If the transfer goes through, it would be another blow for Arsenal, following their previous loss of Chido Obi-Martin to United. This situation underscores a pressing issue for manager Mikel Arteta as he seeks to prevent more of his promising young talents from leaving for rival clubs in the Premier League.
