Mikel Arteta, Arsenal, 2025/26
© IMAGO
Eyebrows were raised by Arsenal fans during the club’s 2-0 win over Everton when Mikel Arteta elected to substitute Cristhian Mosquera on instead of Ben White when Jurrien Timber got injured.
White missed a large portion of the 2024/25 season with a knee injury, and various ailments have kept him out for parts of 2025/26.
Although he returned from a knock a week ago, the lack of trust from Arteta indicates White’s time at the club may be up.
Here are three transfer options for White ahead of the 2026 summer transfer window.
Bayern Munich
Harry Kane, Michael Olise, and Luis Diaz are all former Premier League players who have helped Bayern Munich reassert its dominance atop the Bundesliga after their run of 11 consecutive league titles.
White may make sense as the next player to join that list.
Ben White
© IMAGO - Ben White
The Englishman would likely be an upgrade on Konrad Laimer, and his signing would allow Josip Stanisic to move back to left-back.
Most importantly, White and Olise could form a partnership down the right side that resembles the years when White’s overlapping runs helped get the best out of Bukayo Saka at Arsenal.
Real Madrid
Los Blancos will need defensive depth with Dani Carvajal, David Alaba, and Antonio Rudiger’s contracts all set to expire at the end of the season.
Signing a player who can play both right-back and centre-back would help make up for those departures.
He would be another addition to the club’s small English contingent of Jude Bellingham and Trent Alexander-Arnold, and his style of play could be suited to La Liga.
Saudi Arabia
If White wants to maximize the rest of his career from a financial perspective, spending some time in Saudi Arabia is the way to go.
His interests outside of football have been well documented, and they are reportedly the source of tension between him and England’s national team. That means he may not want to play deep into his 30s.
At age 28 and having had injury struggles, chasing the cash could be the best course of action.
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