Arsenal spending £50m on Brighton defender Ben White comes as little to no surprise.
For a team that parted ways with David Luiz, acquiring someone who would be their carrier from the back was a priority. However, disbursement of £50m for someone who only has 36 Premier League games on his resume comes with its fair share of risk.
While it’s too early to even think about his transfer fee, what needs highlighting is why Arsenal decided to go for the 23-year-old in the first place.
Ben White’s rise to fame may have come as surprise to many, but the 23-year-old holds high regard amongst several managers within the Premier League circuit.
During his loan spell with Leeds United in their promotional-winning season, White played every minute of Championship football.
Arsenal will pay £50m for Ben White, first part of paperworks signed today. Contract agreed until 2026, announcement after medicals once he’ll be back from holidays. ⚪️🔴 #AFC
— Fabrizio Romano (@FabrizioRomano) July 17, 2021
Lokonga will be announced soon. Locatelli deal, not progressing yet.
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This prompted Marcelo Bielsa to knock on Brighton’s door for a permanent transfer, but the amount Leeds were offering was just not enough. Since then, the defender’s valuation has doubled.