What will new signing Ben White bring to Arsenal?

What will new signing and England defender Ben White bring to Arsenal this season?

By Jack Lacey-Hatton    

It is believed Arsenal have now agreed a fee for the club’s latest new arrival – Brighton defender Ben White.

After several initial rebuffs from Albion, a deal believed to be in the region of £50million has now been agreed between the two parties. It would be a record spend by the club on a defender.

The 23 year-old, from Poole, was part of England’s squad at the European Championships, only appearing on the pitch in the two warm-up friendlies.

His impressive rise over the last two seasons has seen him become the number one defensive transfer target for Mikel Arteta and Edu this summer.

But what will he actually bring to the team?

Technical ability

White is your classic modern, ball-playing centre-half, who is good enough technically to play in a possession-oriented tactical system.

He has become one of the most sought-after defenders in the league, primarily because of how capable he is of building attacks from defence.

White apparently idolised England legend Rio Ferdinand as a youngster, and this is telling when you watch him with the ball at his feet.

Although he isn’t quite at a prime Ferdinand’s technical level yet, the influence of his game on White’s, shines through.

His is similarly athletic, nimble, and has an ability to intercept and immediately start attacks, thanks to his quality on the ball.

 

Fitting the system

Something first noticeable about White during his extremely successful loan spell at Leeds United back in 2019-20, was that he is deceptively quick.

On first glance he might not appear overtly reliant on pace, but he is able to cover a lot of ground quickly, when his side are defending counter attacks.

This is exactly the type of defender needed by Arteta when implementing his 3-4-3 system.

It is worth remembering Marcelo Bielsa was the manager who first properly tapped into White’s talent. Although it would be wrong to say the Arsenal head coach wants to replicate the Argentine’s philosophy exactly, he has been influenced by Bielsa in some of his coaching principles.

White also played the right sided centre-half position in a back three for Brighton for much of last season, playing some of his best football in the role.

Although his primary strength is his ability on the ball, White isn’t shy of a tackle, and has worked hard on his physicality since moving up to the Premier League.

While still more of a ball-playing centre-back at heart, he should complement the Brazilian Gabriel nicely, when the two play together.

It may sound ‘old school’, but the best defensive partnerships are often formed from an effective combination of both strength and skill.

He is exactly the type of defender needed by the manager - someone who should slot in straight from the first whistle next season.

 

Versatility

White is also not solely a right sided centre-half. One of the main reasons so many clubs across the Premier League were chasing his signature was his versatility.

This is also partly the reason why he was selected by Gareth Southgate in England’s Euros squad.

He can also operate effectively as a right-back or as a holding midfielder. He figured in all three positions at some point for Brighton in the 2020-21 season.

This flexibility will be crucial for an Arsenal team that are trying to become more adaptable all across the pitch.

Arteta knows the importance of having to switch systems and formations during a game, never mind during the course of a season.

To do this you need players like White.

This versatility may have added another £5 million or so onto the price, but if he plays well in three or four positions over the course of a season, the recruitment team will consider him worth every penny.

Photo Credit: Getty Images