Arsenal could risk losing one of their most-prized youth players in the near future. As per reports from Now Arsenal, the Gunners could lose 18-year-old Ayden Heaven in the coming months as the club and the player’s camp are yet to finalize a new deal for the defender.
Heaven has been with the club since he was 13, playing at various levels at their Hale End academy, and has made his break into the first team this season. He has featured regularly as a bench option for the Gunners, and has also made his senior team debut in the EFL Cup. Heaven came off the bench to play for 10 minutes against Preston North End as Arsenal secured a comfortable 3-0 win.
A composed player with maturity and abilities way beyond his years, Ayden Heaven is rated highly within the club. However, their actions have not aligned with their intentions so far as they are yet to offer the player a new deal to extend his stay beyond 2025. Ayden Heaven’s current deal expires in June and he could depart for another club in a matter of months if the situation is not resolved quickly.
Why retaining academy stars is crucial for Arsenal
As seen in the past, Arsenal have produced world beaters by nurturing them and keeping faith in their growth. From Wojciech Szczesny and Jack Wilshere in the past, to Bukayo Saka in the present team, the club has been known to keep faith in young players and aide their development in the sport.
Mikel Arteta has carried on the tradition put in place by Arsene Wenger, bringing the likes of Ethan Nwaneri, Myles Lewis-Skelly and Heaven into the squad and handing them some invaluable first-team experience. However, the need to win silverware and pressure from fans to keep winning has prevented the Spaniard from using these talents as much as he would have liked.
Still, their value and importance to the club remains unchanged, as Arsenal have shown their commitment to youth by offering nearly their entire squad new deals over the last two years. Now, they will look to do the same with their current crop of Hale Enders.
