Arsenal ‘preparing a move’ for in-demand defender Ben White | OneFootball

Arsenal are said to be ‘preparing’ to make a move for Brighton defender Ben White.

The defender has enjoyed an impressive rise to prominence in recent years, firstly impressing on loan at Newport County before being a prominent feature of Leeds’ promotion-winning side in 2019/20.

The west Yorkshire side were keen to sign the defender on a permanent deal but saw a number of bids turned down as Brighton opted to keep him at the AmEx, the 23-year-old featuring in all but two of their Premier League games this season.

His form for the Seagulls earned him a call-up to England’s provisional 33-man squad for this summers Euro’s, and while he initially failed to make the cut for the final 26, an injury to Trent Alexander-Arnold saw Gareth Southgate select White as his replacement.

The defender’s rise has drawn admiring glances from a number of Premier League sides, with Manchester United, Liverpool and Arsenal all having been linked in recent weeks.

Brighton owner Tony Bloom recently admitted that the South Coast club would be willing to sell their prized assets such as White and Yves Bissouma should they receive a sizeable offer, and according to The Athletic, Arsenal are now preparing to make a move.

The report says that as of yet, there has been ‘no contact’ between the two sides, though that fact is ‘expected to change in due course’ as the Gunners continue their rebuild following their worst Premier League finish in 25 years.

It is said that Brighton will command a fee between £40-50 million, and while the Gunners aren’t expected to be the division’s biggest spenders, the report says that such a valuation shouldn’t be ‘insurmountable’ for the North London club.

Interest in White comes as Arsenal have seemingly shelved their interest in Sevilla defender Jules Kounde, the Frenchman’s release clause with the Spanish side standing at almost £70 million.

Manchester United are also thought to be keen on White, though he isn’t thought to be their main target, with the likes of Raphael Varane and Pau Torres said to feature highly on their list of priorities as Ole Gunnar Solskjaer looks for a partner for Harry Maguire.

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