Manchester United complete deal to sign Ayden Heaven from Arsenal | OneFootball

Gunners bank compensation fee after teenager decides to move to Old Trafford

Arsenal defender Ayden Heaven has joined Manchester United as part of a deal worth over £1million.

The 18-year-old had been attracting interest from German side Eintracht Frankfurt, but he has chosen to move to Old Trafford. Heaven has signed a four-and-a-half year contract, which has the option of a further 12 months, too.

Heaven has been signed as a first-team player and will compete for minutes in United's senior side from the off.

Standard Sport understands Arsenal are banking over £1m in compensation from Heaven leaving and are comfortable with the situation.

Heaven has regularly trained with the first team at Arsenal and made his senior debut in October during a Carabao Cup win at Preston.

The centre-back has been on on the bench for games against United and Tottenham, while he was also part of the squad for Arsenal’s last-16 clash at Porto last season in the Champions League.

Heaven was part of the same scholarship group at Arsenal as Ethan Nwaneri and Myles Lewis-Skelly, representing England at Under-19 level alongside them, and all three of them were part of the Gunners’ pre-season tour to the US last summer.

Lewis-Skelly and Nwaneri have now established themselves in the first team, but Heaven is moving on.

The teenager began his youth career at West Ham, joining them at the age of eight and spending four years there. He was let go at the age of 12 and spent a few months with Chelsea on trial.

Heaven had recently been playing as a left centre-back at Arsenal - where there is competition in the first team from Gabriel, Jakub Kiwior and Riccardo Calafiori - but he can play in midfield, too.

Posting on social media, Heaven wrote: “As the time has come for me to move on, I wanted to say how grateful I am to the good people at Arsenal who supported me during my time with the club.

“As a North London boy, I lived the dream of training and playing at Hale End and London Colney, as well as making my professional debut in the League Cup.

“A big thank you too to Arsenal fans.”