Manchester United have completed the signing of England Under-19 defender Ayden Heaven from Arsenal, securing him on a four-and-a-half-year deal.
The highly-rated teenager arrives for an undisclosed compensation fee and will immediately integrate into the first-team squad.
Heaven, 18, first joined Arsenal’s youth setup in 2019 at the age of 13 and progressed through the ranks before making his senior debut in October during an EFL Cup victory against Preston.
Expressing his excitement about the move, he stated, “I am incredibly proud to join Manchester United. I’m grateful to everyone who helped make this dream a reality.
“There is so much that I want to achieve in the game, I’ll be giving everything to continue my development and become the best player that I can be.”
Manchester United’s technical director, Jason Wilcox, also shared his enthusiasm about the signing, “We are delighted that Ayden has joined Manchester United. He is already an extremely talented defender who is ready to join our first-team squad in order to maximise his development.
“This club has a phenomenal track record of supporting young players and we believe that Ayden is in the perfect place to reach his excellent potential.”
Heaven becomes the second young talent to swap Arsenal for Manchester United this season, following 17-year-old striker Chido Obi-Martin, who made a similar move in October.
The acquisition of Heaven aligns with United’s strategic shift toward recruiting promising young players with long-term potential.
While he lacks the first-team experience of Leny Yoro, who joined Lille for £52.2m last summer, Heaven is already familiar with English football.
With United progressing to the Europa League’s last 16, his involvement in upcoming matches could impact more seasoned defenders, particularly Victor Lindelof, whose contract expires at the end of the season.
Meanwhile, Danish left-back Patrick Dorgu is set to undergo a medical in Manchester on Saturday, having been an unused substitute in Lecce’s Serie A win over Parma on Friday. Sources suggested his transfer fee will be under £30m, including add-ons.
Although United are still playing catch-up to Arsenal in terms of squad depth, their recent signings suggest a clearer pathway to first-team football for emerging talents like Heaven.
Notably, despite his potential, he did not feature in a single Premier League match for Arsenal.
