After weeks of negotiations, Arsenal have struck an agreement with Brighton and Hove Albion for center-back Ben White – confirmed by The Athletic’s David Ornstein.
White, who Gareth Southgate included as a last-minute entry in his Euro 2020 squad, will sign for the Gunners in a deal worth 50 million pounds. The fee alone will make White Arsenal’s third-most expensive signing, behind Nicolas Pepe and Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang.
White is expected to fill a gap in the Arsenal squad as the right-sided center-back in Arteta’s 4-2-3-1 system. The team was left short of options in that particular position following the departure of David Luiz.
The Gunners also sanctioned a move to loan William Saliba to Marseille for one season, despite signing him in a big-money move two years ago. Saliba is yet to make a first-team appearance for the club.
This means that White joins Rob Holding as the two right-footed center-backs in the squad. The Gunners do have ample options to partner with White in defence, including Gabriel Magalhães, Pablo Mari, Callum Chambers, and Holding himself. White can also play in a three-man backline, which he did for Brighton under Graham Potter.
Arsenal are also expected to announce the signing of midfielder Albert Sambi Lokonga from Anderlecht soon. The Gunners closed a deal to sign the Belgian in recent days, with only the official announcement missing. Lokonga and White will become Arsenal’s second and third signings of the summer, respectively. The London club signed Nuno Tavares from Benfica earlier.
However, Arsenal’s business this summer is expected to stretch beyond Tavares, Lokonga, and White. As per The Athletic, the club wants to fill up several key positions in the squad, including a backup goalkeeper and a creative playmaker.
Sheffield United’s Aaron Ramsdale is a target to fill the former, while the club is waiting to see what Martin Odegaard’s future at Real Madrid looks like before making a move. Odegaard spent the last half-season on loan at Arsenal, playing in the creative hole behind the striker.
