Arsenal surprised many fans when they agreed to sell promising young defender Ayden Heaven to Manchester United earlier this year. Heaven had been in Arsenal’s academy for five years and even made his first-team debut in October 2024. Mikel Arteta once called him “remarkable,” so his sudden move to Old Trafford left supporters confused.
Meanwhile, it has emerged that there may be a secret reason behind Arsenal’s decision to sell Heaven. As per the Daily Mail, the rise of another academy star, 16-year-old Marli Salmon, could be the reason behind the tough decision. Manchester United paid an undisclosed compensation fee to sign Heaven.
The 19-year-old has already become a part of Ruben Amorim’s first team, starting in their last two Premier League matches against Wolves and West Ham. He had also featured in five matches for United earlier this year, but was ruled out for two months due to an injury. He had been warming the bench since the start of November and played his last game in October before making a comeback.
Arsenal reportedly chose to let Heaven leave because they were excited about Salmon, who made his senior debut in the Champions League this week against Club Brugge. At just 16, Salmon became the fourth-youngest player in Arsenal’s history and the youngest to appear for the club in the European Championship.
