Ben White has completed his move to Arsenal from Brighton & Hove Albion for a club record transfer fee received. 

The 23-year-old England defender has joined the Gunners on undisclosed terms, signing a long-term deal at the Emirates after completing his medical earlier today.

'We are incredibly proud'

Head coach Graham Potter said in a club statement: “Ben has come an incredible way in a short period of time, but we felt he had all the attributes to achieve what he has in the past few years.

“From the loan spells with Newport, Peterborough and Leeds through to his debut season in the Premier League with us last season, Ben has acquitted himself with great professional at every step of the process.

“We are incredibly proud of him and what he has achieved, and much credit must go to our academy, who have played such an important role in developing Ben from a younger age. 

“On behalf of everyone at the Albion, I would like to thank him for his contribution to the club, he has been a pleasure to work with ever since I arrived here, and wish him well for the future.”

White joined Albion's academy in 2016 and became a regular for the under-23s, while also featuring on the bench for the first team on numerous occasions during the 2016/17 season.

White's progression

The central defender made his professional debut against Colchester United in the first round of the EFL Cup in 2016, when the Seagulls ran out 4-0 winners at the Amex Stadium. He also played 90 minutes in the next round at Oxford United, with Albion winning 4-2 on that occasion.

A move to Sky Bet League Two side Newport County saw the defender play 51 times for the Exiles during the 2017/18 campaign, scoring one goal and laying on five assists. 

He was voted player of the season, with Newport boss Michael Flynn labelling him the club’s best-ever loan signing and tipping him for future England honours. 

After spending the opening half of the 2018/19 season with Albion’s under-23s, White secured a loan move to Peterborough United, which allowed him to experience action in England’s third tier.

Impressed at Leeds

But it was a stellar-season at Leeds United in 2019/20, as a regular in Marcelo Bielsa's promotion-winning side, as they returned to the Premier League in style as EFL champions. He played in every league game, netting an impressive strike in his final game for Leeds against Charlton Athletic.

White signed a new four-year contract with Albion in September 2020, and went onto make his Premier League debut later on that month in a 3-1 home defeat to Chelsea. He played the most amount of minutes of any Albion player in the 2020/21 season, making 36 Premier League appearances.

England call-up

His form caught the eye of England boss Gareth Southgate, who handed White his first senior cap for his country in June 2021 against Austria, before making his first start in a 1-0 victory over Romania.

After initially missing out on England's Euro 2020 squad, White replaced injured Liverpool defender Trent Alexander-Arnold in the team as part of the squad which reached the Wembley final.

VAVEL Logo
About the author