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BEN’S A GUNNER

By Ratul Ghosh

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Ben White, Mikel Arteta

It will not be a transfer window without Arsenal making some sort of impact. The Gunners had a truly dismal 2020-21 season punctuated by their 8th-placed finish which leaves them without European football for the first time in almost 30 years. That coupled with fan anger towards the Kroenke ownership due to its involvement with the European Super League, the team’s downfall was stark. With that in mind, they have now completed the signing of Ben White from Brighton.

 

Josh Kroenke promised new signings this summer and they have looked good on their word so far. Despite some fans being on the fence regarding Mikel Arteta’s continuation as manager, the arrivals of youngsters Nuno Tavares (left-back) and Albert Sambi Lokonga (central midfielder) followed. Now, they have captured arguably their main target till now in Brighton and England defender Ben White for £50m.

 

 

The 23-year-old enjoyed a stellar breakthrough season with the Seagulls in his first full season at this level. Will he become the answer to Arsenal’s long-standing defensive woes? FootTheBall grades this important piece of business for the Gunners and what the club can expect from him this season.

 

PLAYER QUALITY

First things first, White does have experience enough for a defender to tackle the expectations at Arsenal. He has played across all four divisions in England over the past four seasons. White was a constant fixture for Leeds United as they achieved promotion in 2020, playing all 46 games while on loan.

 

There were the first seeds of his promise evident with a passing accuracy of 85% and a dribbling success rate of 74%. Coming back to link up with Brighton, Marcelo Bielsa tried in vain to sign White on a permanent basis. He went on to become a vital cog in Graham Potter’s three-man defence alongside Adam Webster and Lewis Dunk. In 36 games, he helped the team keep 11 clean sheets on their way to a 16th-placed finish.

 

What has been most revealing about his style of play and why Arteta was so keen on him is his assuredness on the ball. Indeed, White loves to play the ball out the back, ranking first in both ‘most dribbles completed (24)’ and ‘most carries with take-ons (18)’ by central defenders in the Premier League. Furthermore, he makes 1.75 interceptions P90 with 40% of his passes being to teammates further up the pitch.

 

Combining all of these facets of his game makes it clearer as to why Arsenal were fixated on White from the start. Even his England call-up before Euro 2020 felt like a surprise to many but Gareth Southgate explained that the player’s versatility and calm nature on the ball influenced his decision. Though he was an injury replacement, there is no doubt that Arteta and others have seen a lot of potential in White for the future with his stock set to rise at the Emirates.

 

VALUE FOR MONEY

This is one of the big talking points regarding this whole transfer saga. Many supporters of the club believe that the £50m price tag is too high for a player who only has one Premier League season under his belt. Furthermore, White is yet to make his continental debut as well while his England appearances also came under Southgate’s grand plan of calling up 33 players to practice before the Euros.

 

When Leeds were looking to sign him in 2020, they valued White at £25m which Brighton found too little. Given the fact the White’s stock has risen due to his ability to play as a right-back or in midfield on occasions, there is little doubt that the Seagulls will be very happy with the amount of money they got back.

 

The angst surrounding the valuation of White also rises from the fact of what Arsenal’s rivals in the league are doing. Liverpool bought Ibrahim Konate from RB Leipzig for around £30m while Manchester United are on the verge of signing Raphael Varane for the same price as White or even less. The latter is the main sticking point given the difference of experience and level at which both play.

 

 

Varane has been a serial winner at Real Madrid in Spain and in Europe along with being an established star for France. The whole acquisition of White might be the result of the Korenkes knowing they have to please the fanbase while improving their very suspect defence. Additionally, the departure of David Luiz and another loan spell for William Saliba makes this transfer more of a required signing.

 

FIT AT THE CLUB

As already mentioned, Arsenal needed a defender who could replace the ball-handler Luiz. There is little doubt that White will fit right in in the back-line alongside Gabriel or Rob Holding. It does look like Pablo Mari is still not fully trusted by Arteta yet as evidenced by only 10 appearances in the league last term.

 

White is adept at handling the right side of the defence so it makes sense for him to be used as a right-back too if needed. That will give Arteta another reason to feel optimistic for this season if White hits the ground running. Arteta has been shifting his centre-backs around but White’s presence will alleviate some of that. Additionally, playing out from the back has become the norm for Arteta who believes in maintaining possession while patiently building up to create chances.

 

EXPECTATIONS

Needless to say, Arsenal’s expectations from their major buy will be quite high. White has shown over the last two seasons that he can compete with the best of England’s top two tiers. In fact, he has not made a single error leading to a shot or goal in the past 82 games which is more cause for celebration.

 

The main aim surrounding the club is of course getting back Champions League football while competing for trophies. That seems a bit of a stretch in White’s debut season, more so because scoring goals was a major problem for them last season. The 55 goals they netted is the fewest in the top nine which means getting a creative player or striker is imperative.

 

The 2020-21 season was a major low point in Arsenal’s illustrious history and they will look to quickly put it behind them. The weight on White’s shoulders will be immense to get the club back to where they feel they belong. If he can integrate himself well within the team and manager’s plans, Arsenal are sure to improve.

 

FINAL GRADE: B+

Ratul Ghosh
His name means Red and a fan of devilish food, which equals to his favourite team being Manchester United. Can be found sleeping or in front of the TV otherwise. Hates waking up early but loves staying up late for football.

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