Arsenal’s plan for the next William Saliba revealed as reason behind Ayden Heaven departure now clear
Marli Salmon made his debut for Arsenal on Wednesday, coming off the bench as they beat Club Brugge.
Arsenal smashed Club Brugge 3-0 in the Champions League, with spectacular goals from Noni Madueke and Gabriel Martinelli completing a perfect away day.
Salmon, 16, a young centre-back, is seen among the talents next up for Mikel Arteta‘s team, following in the footsteps of Myles Lewis-Skelly, Ethan Nwaneri and Max Dowman.
Dowman made his full debut for Arsenal against Brighton in the Carabao Cup in October, becoming the Gunners’ youngest-ever starter at just the age of 15.
Arsenal reached an agreement over scholarship terms with Dowman in the same month, with the teenager having already made five appearances for the first team.
Plans for Marli Salmon made clear
Ayden Heaven left Arsenal for Manchester United in January, in a move that was seen as a blow for the Gunners.
The defender had appeared in pre-season for Arteta’s side, but has been entrusted with Premier League starts since making the switch to Old Trafford.
| Ayden Heaven | Premier League 2025-26 |
| Appearances | 4 |
| Starts | 2 |
| Assists | 1 |
| Duels won | 8 |
Daily Mail Sport reported on Thursday, however, that the loss was accepted internally at Arsenal due to the imminent rise of Salmon.
The youngster played just seven minutes of action against Club Brugge on Wednesday, and is seen as a key player for the future.
Seen as a talent akin to William Saliba, the publication reported that Arsenal plan to aid Salmon’s development similarly, with potential loan spells mapped out across the next two seasons.
Despite his age, the England youth international has regularly featured for Arsenal’s Under-21s over the last few months and made several appearances in pre-season.
Arsenal player makes William Saliba comparison following debut
Salmon enjoyed just four touches of the ball in his brief appearance off the bench on Wednesday, but the defender managed to complete a pass into the final third and a clearance.
He took to social media after the game to celebrate his debut, and wrote: “UCL debut, forever grateful to be in this position, all in God’s timing.”
A number of Arsenal players responded to the post, including the likes of Dowman, Bukayo Saka and Jurrien Timber.
Fellow youngster Josh Nichols’ comment demonstrated the feeling around Salmon’s talent within the Gunners camp, branding the defender “young willooo” in reference to Saliba.