Arsenal Could Lose “Fantastic” Young Star Ayden Heaven as Top Clubs Circle

Arsenal are at risk of losing another promising academy talent, as 18-year-old Ayden Heaven has reportedly rejected professional contract offers from the club. The versatile midfielder/defender is attracting interest from several top Premier League and European sides.

Heaven made his first-team debut for Arsenal in the Carabao Cup this season after impressing in pre-season. However, he has so far turned down attempts to secure his long-term future at the Emirates Stadium.

According to reports, Premier League rivals Chelsea, Liverpool, Manchester City and Manchester United are all monitoring Heaven’s situation. There is also interest from abroad, with Bayern Munich, Borussia Dortmund, Bayer Leverkusen and Napoli said to be keen on the youngster.

Heaven is highly rated for his technical ability and versatility. Data analyst Ben Mattinson has described him as a “fantastic” talent with a “highly unique” skill set, particularly praising his composure on the ball.

Losing Heaven would echo Arsenal’s past mistake with Serge Gnabry, who left the club as a youngster before becoming a star at Bayern Munich. While Heaven has not made the same first-team impact yet, his departure at a young age would be concerningly similar.

Arsenal have improved at retaining academy prospects in recent years, with the likes of Bukayo Saka and Emile Smith Rowe signing new deals. However, they risk repeating past errors if they cannot convince Heaven to commit his future to the club.

The Gunners would be wise to increase Heaven’s involvement with the first team and try to tie him down to a professional contract. Even if he does not break through immediately, they could then look to sell him for a significant fee in the future, as they have done with other academy graduates.

Losing such a highly-rated young talent for minimal compensation would be a blow for Arsenal’s youth development plans. The club must act decisively to avoid another Gnabry-like situation slipping through their fingers.