Tottenham Hotspur are now fearing competition as Arsenal have identified an "unpredictable" £43m star as a prime target for the summer transfer window.
Gunners storm into race for full-back amid White's uncertain future
Sky Sports reporter Dharmesh Sheth has confirmed a number of clubs have set their sights on Ben White ahead of the summer transfer window, saying: "With regard to Ben White, we ran a report on Sky Sports News, actually, as early as January. We knew it wasn’t going to move in January. But the feeling was that there are a number of clubs who are already looking at Ben White for a potential summer transfer."
"Mikel Arteta wants to keep as much of that squad together as possible, because now, with them fighting on all four fronts, he’s going to need every single player in his squad. But I do expect some sort of movement with Ben White in the summer."
It has been a difficult campaign for the Englishman, who has been ruled out of contention for seven Premier League games due to injury, but game time has been hard to come by even when fit, given the sheer number of options Arteta has at his disposal in defence.
Ben White of Arsenal
With White's future up in the air, Arsenal have stormed into the race for Atalanta star Marco Palestra, meaning rival suitors Tottenham, who are flirting with relegation, are now in serious danger of missing out.
Such is the Gunners' level of interest, they have identified Palestra as a prime target, with Arteta keen on bringing in a full-back capable of inverting into midfield, leaving Spurs very much on the back foot given their rivals' status as quadruple contenders.
Given the 'intense' interest from the Premier League, with Brentford also keen, the Serie A side are planning to hold out for a fee in the region of €40m - €50m (£35m - £43m).
Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta after the match Related
[Arsenal now open talks to sign "elite" £60m Bundesliga star, he's Mikel Arteta's priority target](https://www.footballfancast.com/arsenal-now-open-transfer-talks-castello-lukeba-mikel-arteta/ "Arsenal now open talks to sign "elite" £60m Bundesliga star, he's Mikel Arteta's priority target")
The Gunners are in discussions to sign a new defender.
"Unpredictable" Palestra impressing on loan at Cagliari
After failing to make much of an impact at Atalanta last season, featuring just nine times in the Serie A, the 21-year-old was shipped out on loan to Cagliari in the summer, where he has become one of the first names on the team sheet.
The youngster has made 27 Serie A outings this season, displaying his ability on the front foot by chipping in with one goal and four assists, having created six big chances, the second-highest number in the squad.
As per FotMob, the full-back, who has often featured slightly further forward this season, has been Cagliari's most consistent player in the Serie A, having averaged a 7.11 match rating.
Described as an "unpredictable dribbler" by journalist Bence Bocsak, Palestra could be an exciting signing for Arsenal, but £43m would be a large fee to pay for a player who is yet to prove himself over a sustained period of time.