Just before Manchester United’s match against Crystal Palace, the Red Devils proudly showcased two new signings to a packed Old Trafford Stadium.
They had just completed the signing of Patrick Dorgu from Lecce and introduced the Danish defender. However, the signing that is likely to embarrass Arsenal’s fans is that of Ayden Heaven, who also made the move to United this month.
Heaven, just 18 years old, was one of the players closest to breaking into the first team at Arsenal. Many supporters had high hopes for him, believing he would follow in the footsteps of Ethan Nwaneri and Myles Lewis-Skelly and become a regular fixture in the Gunners squad. Heaven had shown great promise and seemed on the verge of being a key part of the team’s future.
However, Arsenal failed to convince him to stay, and he became the second young talent to leave the club for Manchester United in consecutive transfer windows. This departure is a blow to Arsenal, and the move will no doubt be a source of frustration for their supporters. Many are left wondering how the club could lose a young player with such potential to a direct rival.
The Gunners are certainly not proud of this record, and the situation highlights a growing problem that needs addressing. Arsenal’s Hale End academy has produced some of the league’s best young players, but they are now at risk of losing their top talent to other clubs. In the summer, Arsenal also lost Chido Obi-Martin to Manchester United, which has only compounded the sense of frustration.
It is clear that this trend must be stopped before it escalates further. One way Arsenal could prevent these departures in the future is by giving more first-team opportunities to their youngsters. If the club had provided Heaven with more game time and a clearer pathway to the senior squad, it may have been easier to convince him that staying at the Emirates was the right choice. Instead, by not giving him the minutes he needed, Arsenal allowed another top prospect to slip through their fingers and join a rival club.
It’s now time for the Gunners to reassess how they handle their young talent. They need to ensure they are providing ample opportunities for these players to develop and flourish in the first team. If Arsenal can prove to their youngsters that they are committed to their development and offer them more consistent chances at the highest level, they may be able to stem the flow of talent heading to other clubs, especially Manchester United. The time for action is now, or Arsenal risks watching their future stars leave for good.
TBH we cannot expect to hold on to all our youngsters. Too many have an inflated opinion of their own importance. In the end we can only put 11 players on the pitch and I would rather those who choose Arsenal stay and fight for their place, rather than expect to be dropped straight into the team. I am sure they are making judgements about who they really want.
I am sure its either the agents or perhaps their family members looking to cash in.
These kids get a lot of signing on fees as well as bigger salaries and possibly other benefits for their family
But you look at Nwaneri and MLS their valuations are through the roof now as well as salaries and they’re in the first team on merit !!
I can’t think of one player who has gone on to bigger and better things at that age when leaving Arsenal..!
A myopic view. ‘Big’ teams are crucified if they lose, in any competitions, so whilst I’d prefer to keep them they have to earn their place. On top of that its hard to recall many young players moving onto better things. Lets see how Heaven fares.
There’s another way to look at it. That the academy is producing many quality players who attract interest from the biggest clubs. The best academies in the world like Ajax produce many talented young players and there’s no way a single club could keep them all happy. Ultimately most have to leave.
We just need to make sure we’re making money from these departures. In the new climate of PSR, transfer fees for Academy players counts as pure profit and that is beneficial to the accounts. The club has not always gotten it right with the sales and can do better.For instance,we could have gained more for Omari Hutchinson.
Success for the academy doesn’t have to mean them being integrated into the squad. Sometimes it means getting revenue to reinvest into the squad,something City and Chelsea have done well.
Looking at a lot of todays young up and coming players, some of them don’t seem to have the patients to wait for their chance.
Todays academy players are better payed than they’ve ever been, so it’s not like they have to be in such a hurry to get the big contracts that they will get if they do their time so to speak.
Just look at a couple of Arsenal’s current academy players. Skelly has showed patients and before he signed his first professional contract Nwaneri was a very sort after property. But he to showed both his loyalty and patients to the club, and is now starting to reap the benefits of being patient.
Today sadly, it seems a lot of the youngsters want everything yesterday. Sad, very sad. 🤦♂️
We have to take care of Joshua Nichlos and Max otherwise we lose them. Chido could have been the striker we looking for but it’s a shame he will be destroyed in Man U politics.
Unless there is an underlying problem. It is the players that have the problem.
Hi, I think we all should actually question the system that allows poaching as an acceptable way to obtain players. Throughout my many years as a Gunner (from 1949) it was agreed that any tapping up of players was seen as an offence and clubs were punished. Young players seem to forget all the players who have left or been prized away with promises of big stuff for mum and dad etc who suddenly end up nowhere. Look at Hutchinson, whos agent or whoever, convinced him to leave The Arsenal, to drop down to a lesser club (chelsea) only to find himself bought by Ipswich. Just look at the Willock bros, Tuba Akpom, Petit, and severa more. They all regret going for the probable rown envelope? Of course it is all done above board but what sort of compensation will AFC get for the poaching of two very top young stars now at Manure? I hope AFC are able in law to set a future value on both players so if the move or when they move on, we get our money back. Finally, loyalty! Since we allowed agets to take over the ;ives of these kids they have only their back pocket in mind. I suggest that they and theese kids look up the records of the past when world class stars refused to leave their small club to join one of the big boys. The reason, loyalty.
We did exactly the same to take Fabregas from Barcelona, Anelka from PSG and countless others over the years. Obi Martin had only been at the club for two seasons, I believe we got him from some Danish club
” . If Arsenal can prove to their youngsters that they are committed to their development and offer them more consistent chances at the highest level”
We have done that by introducing two teenagers into the first team this season. The problem could be that by fast tracking two exceptional talents it upsets those who are just a notch or two down on the scale. We cannot hand out opportunities to everyone.
Yes I agree with all the comments but ManU can not be allowed to turn Arsenal Academy into their play ground. I think Arsenal must implement the rules that will control the family and other clubs. We can not put a player in our academy for ManU to come and pay a five thousand thank you. There’s a possibility of selling the same player for 50 million after a year or two
An 18 year old turns down not one, but two contract extensions this season by the club. I not surprised that he didn’t get any game time for the first team, bar the pre-season friendlies.
I don’t see the big deal. That’s the nature of producing youth players. We can’t just keep them all here to “win over” on rivals. These kids have to think about their own career paths and there is a much better chance he starts for United than for us. I have nothing against Hutchinson either. They’re young kids making difficult decisions about their careers. I don’t see the need for any hostility towards them
I don’t blame them for looking for better opportunities elsewhere. A football career is unpredictable. One injury could end your whole career, affecting your ability to earn money from what you’ve trained years to be your bread and butter for the future. I see no problem in being impatient to get started earning real money. Why wait around playing U21s for that debilitating injury making crumbs, when you could be making proper dosh that certainly would help cushion that blow, if and when it comes. Fair play to them. Just sayin….
Arsenal ‘begged’ Omari Hutchinson to stay but he chose to go to Chelsea. They sold him to Ipswich and is likely to be playing in the Championship next season
My stand is that if the club does what it can do to keep an academy graduate and he persists on leaving, there is nothing embarrassing to let him leave. They invariably regret those decisions
He could well be signed by a premier league club by next season, though. Has looked pretty good from what I’ve seen. Following his own path – good luck to him.
The better a club’s first team is, the less chance there is of a young player breaking into it. So they look elsewhere – where’s the surprise?
It surprises me more to see two (and maybe more) academy players regularly featuring in the first team this season.
Selling the likes of Nketiah for £30m is just good business for a club.
It is hard to have it both ways. Some blame Arsenal for not playing the youngsters more, but if you want to compete at the top end of the table (which those same people want) then there is probably only a path into the senior team for the best of the academy players, and even for them some patience will be required.
Arsenal have a pretty solid team right now, and especially in defense. I am sure heaven looked at who was in front of him and thought, it could be years until I break into this team.
On the other hand, Man U is currently a mess, and a talented academy player would probably feel there is a much greater chance of breaking in to that team
I don´t think it´s embarrassing at all. It´s not like we are losing our best talents to rivals. We obviously did not rate him that much, we have to trust that decision. We can´t keep them all. I prefer that we keep strengthening the squad enough to compete, rather than holding on to young players not good enough, just for the sake of it.
Let’s look at it from AH’s point of view.
We have a pairing of Saliba and Gabriel, and they will no doubt be our starting pair for at least the next 4 years. Yes their might be the injury here and there. But within those 4 or 5 years, I can’t see that AH would be able to break that partnership.
So, in that sense I understand why he would want to leave.
It is a fine line to walk, if you are competing for titles. I would add that perhaps some deep roster spots could go to promising youth.
For example, someone could have filled Elneny’s spot, he rarely played, but good experience and development if a academy player had his spot.
Tierney’s spot as 4th LB, or Vieira’s spot as 5th winger (when/if he returns)
It’s not about a better pathway Manu will sign first-team players, and Arsenal still needs an out-and-out 9 As for Heaven he could have learned a lot at Arsenal from the defenders he’d be competing against, Whereas UTD needs a whole new backline Maybe he thinks a system with three CB’s it gives him a better chance I don’t know I still think the environment at Arsenal would make him a better player, he missed out Anyway I see it as UTD willing to pay them more, that was the deciding factor I’m just delighted that they haven’t earlier tried to sign Skelly and Nwaneri and offered them big money because those two have saved us a fortune and are showing if you’re good enough the gap to the first team can be bridged
Has anyone followed how Chido has fared this season at Manure? Honest question. I don’t know? Is he still breaking scoring records?