Manchester United have completed the signing of 18-year-old defender Ayden Heaven from Arsenal in a deal worth over £1 million.
Heaven, who has played for England at the Under-19 level, has signed a four-and-a-half-year contract until June 2029, with an option for an extra year. He will immediately join United’s first-team squad.
The young centre-back had six months left on his scholarship deal at Arsenal but rejected the chance to sign a professional contract with the Gunners.
German club Eintracht Frankfurt had shown interest in him, but he chose to move to Old Trafford.
Heaven made his senior debut for Arsenal in October during a Carabao Cup win against Preston. He had also been on the bench for games against Manchester United and Tottenham, as well as Arsenal’s Champions League last-16 clash against Porto last season.
Speaking to MUTV, Heaven expressed his excitement about the move.
“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 praised the young defender.
“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 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.”
