Brighton defender, Ben White might be an Arsenal player before the end of the ongoing European Championship because viral reports in England claimed that the Gunners have agreed on personal terms with the representatives of the defender.
The Premier League side is willing to pay a whopping £50 million for the services of Ben White who spent the 2019-2020 season on loan at Leeds United before he returned to Brighton ahead of the 2020-2021 season.
White made 39 appearances in all competitions in the just concluded season which wowed most football fans and earned him a place in Gareth Southgate’s Three Lions of England squad.
Recall that the 23-year-old center back became the best alternative to replace Trent Alexander-Arnold in England’s Euro 2020 squad when the right-back got injured during the preparation for the tournament.
More so, his performance attracted the likes of Tottenham Hotspur and Arsenal to seek his services despite having over three years left on his contract with Brighton.
Arsenal first made an official offer to Brighton for the services of the English defender a week ago. According to a Sky Sports report, the first amount the Premier League club brought to the table was £40 million which was rejected by Brighton.
Due to how important the player is to the plans of coach Mikel Arteta ahead of the 2021-2022 season, Arsenal had to bring an improved bid worth £50 million to the table.
At the time of publishing this report, there was no official statement concerning the negotiations between Arsenal and the representatives of Ben White. Though the youngster has proven to be very important to Brighton, the club’s owner, Tony Bloom had said the club does not plan to stop him if he decides to leave the club.
However, White would not be allowed to walk away from the club if his suitors are not able to pay handsomely for his service. The youngster who joined the club via the club’s academy in July 2014 for free is seen as one of the biggest assets at Brighton. Hence, he won’t leave the club for peanuts.
Some benefits Arsenal might derive in signing Ben White
Though Ben White is not one of the most established defenders in the Premier League, his potential which earned him a place in England’s Euro 2020 squad could be an asset to any club.
One of the good things about White is that he is not just a center-back, he is one of the few defenders who can hold his own in the midfield. Hence, if Arsenal sign him this summer, they are not just signing a defender but a versatile youngster who can play in the defense and the midfield.
Aside from that, he is just a 23-year-old with huge potentials which means that the £50 million investment might not be bad as he could grow to become an asset that could fetch Arsenal £100 million in the transfer market.
