Manchester United defender Ayden Heaven has had a frustrating second season at Old Trafford so far, with limited minutes for the talented young defender.
Last season saw Ayden Heaven move to Manchester United during the January transfer window, arriving from Arsenal, stepping immediately into the first team for Ruben Amorim.
He only cost £1.5m, but Heaven immediately won over Amorim, proving himself whenever he was called upon with big defensive contributions and excellent on-the-ball quality.
Despite this, the 2025/26 season has seen Heaven struggle for minutes behind Luke Shaw, with United having a lack of games due to no Europe or Carabao Cup.
Yet things could be about to get worse for Ayden Heaven.
Lisandro Martinez return presents Ayden Heaven problem for Ruben Amorim
Having just one game per week this season means Amorim has no need for rotation, and this has resulted in Luke Shaw being a regular, managing to keep fit all season. As a result of this, Heaven has played just 92 minutes this season, with just 28 in the Premier League.
However, last week against Brighton, Heaven had an excellent cameo for United, providing an assist and reminding fans why he was so highly rated in the first place. But with such limited opportunities with just Shaw ahead of him, the sight of Lisandro Martinez returning to United training will be gravely concerning.
Martinez has been out since his ACL injury in February, but his return will likely see him return to United’s starting line-up. With the Argentine being impressive under Amorim last season, Martinez likely starts ahead of Shaw, which pushes Heaven further down the pecking order.
Heaven is currently too good to be playing third fiddle for United, and his development will stagnate if he’s not playing often enough. This means United has a big decision to make come January.
Manchester United should find Ayden Heaven a loan in January
While the chances of both Shaw and Martinez remaining fit from now until June are remarkably low, United can’t keep Heaven in reserve just in case he is needed.
This won’t help him reach his star potential, and instead would probably see the England U20 starlet looking for a transfer move in 2026 as his pathway is blocked.
Heaven’s cameo against Brighton proved he deserves more minutes, and so either United gives him this, starting with a start against Nottingham Forest, or he needs to be let go on loan in January to a lower Premier League side or top end of the Championship.
Shaw and Martinez are not the future of United, yet Heaven might be, so Amorim must treat him as such going forward.
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