Arsenal complete £50m White transfer from Brighton as Arteta recruitment drive gathers pace - 7M sport

Arsenal complete £50m White transfer from Brighton as Arteta recruitment drive gathers pace



Posted Saturday, July 31, 2021 by Goal.com

Arsenal complete £50m White transfer from Brighton as Arteta recruitment drive gathers pace

The England international has committed his future to the Gunners through to 2025, and will now join up with the squad ahead of the new season

Ben White has completed his £50 million switch to Arsenal from Brighton as Mikel Arteta's recruitment drive at Emirates Stadium begins to gather pace.

White has become Arsenal's third major signing of the summer after Nuno Tavares and Albert Sambi Lokonga, who arrived from Benfica and Anderlecht respectively.

The 23-year-old signed a four-year deal that will keep him at the Emirates until 2025 after passing a medical, and will now join up with his new team-mates ahead of the Gunners' latest pre-season friendly against Chelsea on Sunday. It has also been confirmed he will wear No 4 for Arsenal.

What has been said?

Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta told the club website: “Ben was a top target for us and it’s great that we’ve completed his signing.

"Ben has been educated with two very good clubs, Brighton and Leeds, in recent seasons. He has benefitted well from two very good coaching set-ups and has shown with both Brighton and on loan with Leeds what a strong talent he is.

"Ben is an intelligent defender who is very comfortable with the ball at his feet and his style fits perfectly with us. Of course he is still young, so his age and profile fits with what we are building here. We are all looking forward to Ben being central to our future long-term plans."

White's credentials

White will be expected to slot straight into Arteta's starting XI after proving he can deliver the goods in the Premier League at Brighton last term.

The centre-back returned to the Amex Stadium after a loan spell at Leeds United last summer and played an instrumental role in helping the Seagulls avoid relegation, featuring in all but two of their top-flight fixtures.

White also earned his first two England caps in friendly wins over Romania and Austria at the start of June, and impressed enough to secure a place in Gareth Southgate's Euro 2020 squad.

He ultimately had to watch on from the bench as the Three Lions made it all the way to the final before losing to Italy on penalties, but Gunners supporters will hope that he can hit the ground running at Emirates Stadium.

Who will Arsenal target next?

White's arrival should help to shore up Arsenal's defence heading into the new campaign, but there are still several other issues for Arteta to address.

The Gunners are lacking creativity in midfield following Dani Ceballos and Martin Odegaard's respective returns to Real Madrid after loan spells, and it has been reported that they are now readying a bid for Leicester City playmaker James Maddison.

Lille star Renato Sanches has also been touted for a switch to the Emirates, while Inter's Lautaro Martinez is being mooted as a potential target as Arteta also seeks to strengthen his options up front.

Arsenal are in the market for a new goalkeeper too, with reports of an imminent £32m ($44m) deal for Sheffield United's Aaron Ramsdale now swirling amid speculation that they are also looking at Barca shot-stopper Neto.



Attention: Third parties may advertise their products and/or services on our website.7M does not warrant the accuracy, adequacy or completeness of their contents.
Your dealings with such third parties are solely between you and such third parties and we shall not be liable in any way for any loss or damage of any sort incurred by you.