Arsenal fans should not be losing sleep over Ayden Heaven's decision to join Manchester United, which could very well be financially motivated, Gunners expert Charles Watts has told Sports Mole.
The 18-year-old is set to become the latest highly-rated youth product to walk out of the Hale End doors, as the Evening Standard claims that he is closing in on a switch to the Red Devils, who have beaten Eintracht Frankfurt to his services.
Heaven will leave Arsenal having made just one senior appearance - coming on as a substitute in October's 3-0 EFL Cup win over Preston North End - although he has been on the bench for Premier League and Champions League matches.
Asked if Arsenal will be regretting their failure to resist interest in Heaven, Watts said: It's hard to say really, because we've just not seen that much of him. He's highly rated. Arsenal did not want to lose him. They offered him a professional contract but he hadn't signed it. When he's still on scholarship terms, you're just always open to something like this happening.
"It's a dog-eat-dog world when it comes to youth transfers of real hot talents. Every single club is trying to steal other clubs' players before they sign those pro deals. You win some and you lose some.
"I'm surprised he's chosen Manchester United, I have to say. He was close to Frankfurt. He went over there, he was doing a bit of a tour. It just felt like maybe if you're doing it for development purposes, the Bundesliga was the most sensible place to go to do that. We've seen a lot of young players have success doing that.
'Arsenal won't shed tears about Heaven exit'
"I'm just not sure United is that, but it's up to him, isn't it? Him and his representatives have made the decision. Good luck to him. I don't think many people are going to shed too many tears about it right now. If he goes on and becomes a huge success maybe they will, but I think sometimes you just hold your hands up."
Had Heaven continued at Arsenal, his path to the first team would have been blocked by the ever-present pairing of William Saliba and Gabriel Magalhaes, while Jakub Kiwior, Ben White, Jurrien Timber and Takehiro Tomiyasu can also play at centre-half.
However, Man United could lose the ageing trio of Victor Lindelof, Harry Maguire and Jonny Evans at the end of the season, and Watts can see Heaven progressing to the first-team ranks quicker at the Theatre of Dreams thanks to their older defence.
"It's disappointing, obviously, but I think if you're Ayden Heaven, you're looking at your pathway and you look at Arsenal right now, William Saliba and Gabriel are going to be Arsenal's centre back partnership for a long, long time," he added.
"Then you look at United and you've got Maguire, you've got De Ligt. There's maybe some older players there who are coming towards the end of their careers. He might think he's got a better chance of making it into the first team quicker at United than he does at Arsenal. Maybe that's the reason, but ultimately I'm sure we'll hear from him one day why he made the call he has."
The 2006-born centre-back is following in the footsteps of another ex-Arsenal starlet in Chido Obi Martin, who made a high-profile move to Man United in the summer after turning down the chance to sign professional terms at Arsenal.
Heaven to Man United: 'Money, why else?'
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Heaven and Obi Martin are two of a few examples of young players seeking pastures new away from North London; Reuell Walters signed for Luton Town last summer, while Amario Cozier-Duberry joined Arsenal's Premier League rivals Brighton & Hove Albion.
Nevertheless, Ethan Nwaneri and Myles Lewis-Skelly have both become first-team mainstays in the current campaign, where Mikel Arteta has seemingly made more of an effort to give young talents a chance in order to halt the exodus of academy products.
As a result, Watts is confident that money is also a large factor in Heaven's decision, adding: "I imagine finances is quite a big thing, and it tends to be with decisions when it comes to footballers these days, whether you're old or young and understandably so.
"If you're getting a very good offer from elsewhere, which Chido Obi-Martin certainly did, then that's going to make you think. When you look at Arsenal as well this season, Aidan especially, good friends of Lewis-Skelly, Nwaneri. You've seen two of his mates his age forcing their way into the first team and making themselves regulars.
"So he's seen first-hand that there is a pathway there. If you can impress and you can get your opportunity, you can stay in this team. I can't say exactly why he has made that decision. But I imagine money is quite high up in that because why else?"
Lewis-Skelly and Nwaneri were both involved in Wednesday's 2-1 Champions League win over Girona, where the latter scored a terrific second for Arsenal, and both could potentially start in Sunday's Premier League blockbuster with Manchester City after Lewis-Skelly's red card against Wolverhampton Wanderers was overturned.
Ben Knapton
