The £50m star man Arsenal should sell this summer to help them stay at the top of the gameplaceholder image
The £50m star man Arsenal should sell this summer to help them stay at the top of the game | AFP via Getty Images
Arsenal will need to make move in the summer transfer window to continue to compete for titles - could selling an established star help the do that?
Whether Arsenal head into the summer as Premier League champions or back in their usual role as bridesmaids, there will likely be a fair amount of movement in the transfer window – while their needs may not be as desperate as those of other sides, there is room for improvement in several departments and a fundamental need to keep moving forward to remain at the top of the game.
Bringing in new blood, of course, means finding ways to move on from those players who are no longer crucial to the cause. It would be a stretch to say that any members of the current squad are makeweights, but few are obvious candidates for a sale. Gabriel Jesus will likely leave after a torrid time with injuries, but beyond that few players can be said to be surplus to requirements. Except, perhaps, for a £50m defender whose time may have come.
Why Arsenal should consider selling Ben White this summer
Since signing from Leeds for a £50m fee back in 2021, Ben White has grown to become a core member of a strong side and one of the best right-backs in England, especially in a side which doesn’t put a premium on aggressive, overlapping play in his position. His assured positional game and technical quality have suited Mikel Arteta’s methods almost perfectly.
His availability, however, became a problem last season. Injuries restricted White to just 13 league starts, and with Jurriën Timber proving to be an exceptionally assured deputy, White’s role in the first team has diminished. Between Timber’s emergence and further fitness problems, White has made just five league starts this term.
White has, in short gone from being an indispensable part of the starting line-up to a back-up, with mounting fears that fitness concerns could be a permanent part of his game going forward.
Even given those injury issues, most teams would be delighted to have a squad player of such experience and capability, and at 28 he is hardly too long in the tooth – but it still might be time to move on.
Largely that’s because White’s value in the transfer market is likely to decline past this summer. Injuries are a core part of the reason, of course, and will likely make some suitors worry about just how long his prime might prove to be, but his contract is another issue – he is due to stay at the Emirates until 2028, and with two years remaining is at the point at which Arsenal either sell to get the most value possible, or extend his stay.
There would be some justification for the latter course, but if Arsenal want to be able to maximise their investment in other positions, then the nature of the Premier League and UEFA spending rules means that selling would be the better long-term course of action unless they were convinced that White is likely to stay fit and productive for several years to come. That may not be the safest bet as it stands.
Could White leave the Emirates in the next transfer window?
It’s hard to gauge precisely what White might be worth right now, and the value of any offers which did come in would be a crucial part of any calculation made as to how to handle his future. Certainly, it seems a slight stretch to imagine that White would fetch the £50m he did when he arrived at Arsenal now.
There is, however, likely to be interest. Everton were reported to be keen during the January transfer window and another side who need a solution at right-back – Manchester City – cropped up as well. Despite his injury problems, White’s pedigree is such that several teams are likely to be intrigued by the chance to sign him.
Whether any of those sides make a bid will depend on several factors, not least the price tag Arsenal put on him – Everton’s new owners seem keen to keep costs down while they navigate their way through the financial problems left behind by former chairman Farhad Moshiri – and whether such teams find cheaper or younger alternatives which they prefer. Manchester City, for instance, won’t care too much about the cost but are believed to admire Tino Livramento and may prioritise him given the chance.
But while there are natural barriers between Arsenal and finding the right buyer for White, there is also likely to be more interest now, at a higher price point, than they will be able to drum up in future transfer windows. One way or the other, Arsenal must either commit to keeping White around as a rotational option – or sell to help them move forward.
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