Arteta regrets losing Obi, Ayden Heaven to United, defends Arsenal’s youth pathway

Mikel Arteta has admitted it was “unfortunate” to lose young talents Chido Obi and Ayden Heaven to Manchester United but insists Arsenal remains committed to developing academy players for the first team.

Obi, 17, left the Gunners last summer over concerns about his pathway to senior football and is expected to be involved when United face Arsenal on Sunday. Heaven also departed for Old Trafford, sparking debate over Arsenal’s ability to retain top young prospects.

Addressing Obi’s exit, Arteta stated: “I wasn’t too involved in that decision. When a player decides the best pathway is to leave, there’s not much you can do. We want to keep our academy players and help them succeed, but in the cases of Chido Obi and Ayden Heaven, we couldn’t.”

Despite these departures, Arsenal has recently integrated Ethan Nwaneri and Myles Lewis-Skelly into the senior setup, reinforcing Arteta’s belief that the club provides opportunities for young talent.

“I don’t know what the external perception is, but internally, the reality is different,” Arteta explained. “Those players are with us all the time. If there is someone who can impact and help the first team, I guarantee they will be with us.”