FINALLY: Manchester United’s first January transfer signing is completed and the player set to be unveiled in few days
Fabrizio Romano states Manchester United are set to sign 18-year-old defender Ayden Heaven from Arsenal, after an inside source at the Red Devils’ academy revealed a “full agreement” had been reached earlier this morning.
Academy Scoop contended United have won the race to sign the defensive starlet by “beating Barcelona and Eintracht Frankurt” to his signature earlier this morning.
Tweet: “EXCLUSIVE: Manchester United have reached a full agreement to sign Arsenal defender Ayden Heaven, beating Barcelona and Eintracht Frankfurt to the 18 year-old’s signature.
Heaven is considered a first-team signing, and will provide competition/cover for Lisandro Martinez.”
Romano then corroborated this academy source’s update, giving Heaven’s move to Old Trafford his trademark ‘Here We Go’ seal of approval and revealing the 18-year-old had “rejected a new deal” at the Emirates.
Tweet: “Ayden Heaven to Manchester United, here we go! Exclusive story from last week confirmed as 18 year old centre back’s set to leave Arsenal and join #MUFC.
“Medical booked after he rejected new deal from Arsenal and Eintracht approaches. Agreement being formally sealed.”
Interestingly, Academy Scoop contends Heaven has been targeted as “first-team signing” with a view towards providing “competition [and] cover” to Lisandro Martinez.
Heaven is a left-footed central defender which may explain why United have pursued the Arsenal academy graduate, as Ruben Amorim’s 3-4-3 system is reliant upon centre-backs comfortable stepping up into their respective channels.
Martinez is the only left-footed centre-back in the squad, though Luke Shaw can also thrive in this position if fit – with a big question mark on if there. This means there is a gap in the squad for a left-footed ball-playing defender like Heaven to immediately slot into.
Heaven would represent the second youngster to swap the Emirates for Old Trafford this season after Chido Obi-Martin’s move in the same direction last summer, with the 17-year-old striker thriving in the United academy since the switch.
Increasingly, United are re-emerging at the fore front of youth football as one of the best possible set-ups to join for youngsters hoping to realise their potential at first-team level. Heaven’s choice to join the Theatre of Dreams is further evidence of this.
