As per a report from David Ornstein of The Athletic, Arsenal have agreed a deal for the transfer of Ben White.
The Englishman was part of the squad that reached the final of Euro 2020. He was selected after a hugely impressive debut season in the Premier League for Brighton and Hove Albion.
According to the report, the Gunners have agreed on a fee with Brighton in the region of £50 million. The medical for the center-back will take some time to be completed as the 23-year-old is on holiday right now.
The Athletic state that there was interest in the Englishman, but no team made a bid as they thought that the player would be joining the Emirates club. White is admired by Mikel Arteta who sees him as the man for the right side of defence.
Sky Sports are also reporting that the north Londoners have an agreement with the Seagulls. The former Leeds United defender is expected to return to England on the 26th of July and will complete his medical thereafter.
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Though the fee is a bit high and will become a record for a defender bought by the Gunners, this is a good deal. The primary reason for this is the quality and potential of the center-back who has seamlessly fitted into the league.
And crucially, the one season White had with Marcelo Bielsa has taken his game up several notches and allowed the England international to become a more complete player. Under Arteta, we could see the defender play a role similar to what he did at Leeds.
The Brighton star is excellent on the ball and has the pace to recover if the team plays a high line. The role given to him is going to be quite similar to what David Luiz was doing. Finding the right pass, helping the build-up are all facets of his game and it will be needed at the Emirates. Arsenal still have some work left to do in the transfer window but the signing of Ben White is a smart one that should improve many aspects of the team.
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