Arsenal have signed Ben White from Brighton for a price reported of about £50m. The Gunners are yet to announce the deal anytime as the England international has undergone his second medical test on Wednesday. The 23-year-old defender has made 36 appearances in the Premier League for Brighton last season, helping them to avoid relegation from the England’s top-flight. Thanks to Ben White’s contributions that Graham Potter’s finished 16th in the PL last season.
Sky Sports News reported in June that the Gunners had a £40m bid for the centre-back rejected while an improved offer of £47m was also knocked back before Brighton agreed to the £50m fee.
Also Read:- Who is Dusan Vlahovic: The Serbian Star-Kid who is wanted by Liverpool and Tottenham
White returned from a holiday after the completion of the Euros. He visited Arsenal’s training ground at London Colney on Wednesday to undergo his medical. Arsenal have been tracking White closely this summer after technical director Edu and manager Mikel Arteta made him a top target. Negotiations with Brighton progressed smoothly throughout talks and earlier this month the pair agreed on a fee. The 23-year-old signed a five-year deal with the Gunners.
Ben White did not play for Gareth Southgate’s England side at the Euros as they reached the final but played in the two warm-up games against Austria and Romania. The 23-year-old joined the Seagulls in 2014 from Southampton and has gone on to make 41 appearances for the club in all competitions.
Arsenal legend Nigel Winterburn wants his former club to sign James Maddison from Leicester this summer.
“I’d like Arsenal to sign James Maddison as he already has that Premier League experience, so you’re not talking about a settling-in period,” Winterburn told Genting Bet.
“He’s a talented player, certainly very, very creative on the ball, and that’s the type of player Arsenal need.”
“Of course, Arsenal have signed up Emile Smith Rowe on a long-term contract but could still need another creative player to help take them forward.”
“In terms of whether Arsenal would be a step up, Leicester have won the league. They’ve consistently done very, very well in the last couple of seasons, so, I think that would be very rude to say it would be a step up for him.”
“In terms of club stature, Arsenal is massive. For me, I say it all the time – it was a privilege to be part of the club and stay for so long.”
How well shall Ben White perform at Arsenal?
Winterburn is hopeful that White will thrive at the Emirates but admits he was ‘shocked’ by the cost of the deal.
He added: “In terms of physicality, you could argue there are some similarities between Ben White and Tony Adams and if he gets anywhere near Tony Adams level, then £50m is going to be very, very cheap. Let me tell you.”
“I don’t want to make any comparisons though. I’ve only seen him play a couple of time but he looks very composed and organised on the ball.”
“And at times, last season, watching Arsenal play out from the back, it looked anything like that. He’ll be a very good addition to the squad.”
“Last season, I don’t think our defensive record was actually that bad. But I was never quite sure what our best centre-half pairings were then. So, I’m hoping we’re going to get some consistency. That consistency is so important.”
Arsenal are ready to offload some players this summer. Roma remains keen on signing the midfielder- Granit Xhaka. However so far, they have been unable to meet Arsenal’s asking price of around £20m for the Switzerland captain. Inter Milan are also keen on signing right-back Hector Bellerin, but the Italian club would at present prefer a straight loan deal rather than signing him permanently this summer.
Also Read:- Manchester United identify Saul Niguez as Paul Pogba’s replacement does he decide to leave this summer
