Where Ayden Heaven sits in Man United pecking order as Ruben Amorim says he is ‘ready to play’

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Ayden Heaven was one of two first-team signings made by Manchester United over the transfer window.

Manchester United continued their recent trend of signing young players with huge potential when they snapped up the 18-year-old from Arsenal’s academy.

United spent £1.5m on Heaven to strengthen Ruben Amorim’s defensive department, and he was presented to Old Trafford alongside Patrick Dorgu just moments before kick-off against Crystal Palace.

Jason Wilcox pushed to sign Heaven now instead of waiting until the summer like United chiefs initially planned. That turned out to be a wise decision with Lisandro Martinez suffering a major injury.

With Martinez out for a long period of time, it has been suggested that Heaven could make his United debut sooner than expected and potentially as early as this Friday against Leicester City.

Where Ayden Heaven sits in Ruben Amorim’s pecking order

Even with Martinez out, Amorim still has plenty of defensive options to choose from in this current squad. Unfortunately the same cannot be said about his striking options.

Summer signings Matthijs de Ligt and Leny Yoro have both featured frequently under Amorim, while Noussair Mazraoui has also filled in as a centre-back.

Harry Maguire has been in superb form lately, and Victor Lindelof could return after recovering from an injury setback.

Then there is Jonny Evans – who became an unexpected key player for United last season. He extended his deal to stay put this season.

According to The Athletic, Ayden Heaven is unlikely to jump ahead of Evans in Amorim’s centre-back pecking order, meaning the 18-year-old still has a long way to go before breaking through as a starter.

However, Amorim’s recent comments suggest Heaven will be in contention for the Leicester match. In his pre-match press conference, the United boss said:

“You guys have to wait until tomorrow but they are ready to play and are two more solutions in this moment.”

Ayden Heaven is a future star at Man United

Even if Heaven does not make his senior debut this season, United certainly consider him a star for the future.

Heaven is considered a “generational talent” and Ineos view his signing this month as a coup.

United clearly think highly of him after handing Heaven the No.26 shirt and considering him as a first-team signing rather than an addition for the academy.

READ MORE: How Ruben Amorim feels about Man United’s transfer business, stance on three signings is clear

Amorim has also been keeping a keen eye on academy star Godwill Kukonki, who has been promoted to first-team training and named in matchday squads this season.

With Amorim deploying a three-at-the-back system, there is plenty of opportunities for centre-backs to get minutes, and in Kukonki and Heaven, United have two outstanding centre-back prospects.