Manchester United have confirmed that England youngster Ayden Heaven has joined the club from Arsenal. The 18-year-old centre-back made his Arsenal debut earlier this season and has featured for England up to Under-19s level.

Heaven has signed a contract until June 2029, with the option of an additional year, and he will immediately join United’s first-team squad, Manchester United informed in a release on their official website.

Talking about his new deal with the famed club, Ayden Heaven said: “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,” said the defender known for his all-round game and the ability to play multiple roles in defence and midfield.

Jason Wilcox, Manchester United's technical director, welcomed Ayden Heaven, who is capable of playing as a box-to-box central midfielder as well as in defence, central or left-sided, to the club. “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 maximize 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,” he said of the youngster who had once trialled for Chelsea too.

Born in Enfield near London, Ayden Heaven started his youth career at West Ham United, joining their academy at the age of eight, before moving to Arsenal in 2019. In 2024, the centre-back played two matches each for England's U18 and U19 teams.