Arsenal are still in talks with Ayden Heaven over a new contract amid reports that the player has rejected the club’s latest offer of professional terms.
Arsenal youth defender Ayden Heaven is highly rated at the club, but he’s yet to commit his long-term future to the Gunners.
Reports from Graeme Bailey of TBR Football last week suggested that Heaven had rejected fresh attempts from the club to hand him a professional deal.
Yet Fabrizio Romano followed that up, saying that a new contract is still possible, with Arsenal pushing to get it done. The Standard are now also reporting this.
According to Romano and The Standard, talks between Arsenal and Heaven are ongoing, through Ajax and Borussia Dortmund are among the interested clubs if the defender leaves.
Heaven would be out of contract in the summer, so he’d be available to sign for no more than a training compensation fee if Arsenal can’t get him to put pen to paper first.
The 18-year-old made his first-team debut under Mikel Arteta in October, coming on as a substitute for the Gunners in their League Cup win over Preston North End.
That was one of seven times he’s made the first-team squad, but it remains his only involvement on the pitch.
Heaven has largely featured for the Arsenal u21s and u19s this season, making 14 appearances between the Premier League 2, the UEFA Youth League, and the EFL Trophy.
Internationally, he made his debut for the England u19s in September, though he wasn’t called up in October or November.
With another six months to go until the player’s contract expires, this saga may drag on for a little while yet.