Arsenal have responded as Everton are reportedly interested in signing defender Ben White during the January transfer window.
Mikel Arteta will have his mind firmly on the Carabao Cup semi-finals, as his side make the trip to Stamford Bridge on Wednesday night for the first leg. It will be Arteta and Liam Rosenior’s first meeting as managers, so certainly an interesting clash to watch.
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However, Arteta will also be focused on the January transfer window. He is yet to see any new signings through the door, but is also yet to see any exits.
Reports on Monday claimed that Premier League rivals Everton are interested in signing Ben White, as they are looking to add a right-back. The English defender has been somewhat of a backup for Arsenal this season behind Jurrien Timber, who has been excellent.
Ben White is ‘not for sale’
Amid Everton’s interest in White, reports quickly came to the fore which suggest Arsenal’s stance on selling the 27-year-old. According to Caught Offside, the Gunners firmly believe that White is not for sale, and intend on keeping him this month.
The Gunners paid £50m for White when they signed him from Brighton in 2023, but after a recent string of injury problems, his future isn’t the most certain.
Although one thing is for sure, Arsenal don’t plan to sell him this month, so Everton will need to look at alternative targets moving forward.
Arsenal boss Arteta hails “tremendous” White
Arteta is a big fan of Ben White despite the fact that he doesn’t play him each and every week, which may be part of the reason why he isn’t for sale.
Arteta was quoted by Yahoo Sports earlier in the season: “His attitude has been so positive, so good. When given the opportunity, you take it. I’m very happy that we have him back in the best version of himself as well. We’re going to need him because he’s a tremendous player.”
White has made just five Premier League appearances this season, mainly during the period when Gabriel was injured.
Click here to see Arsenal’s latest injury news and expected return dates.