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Arsenal are reportedly desperate to sign Brighton & Hove Albion defender Ben White this summer. The Gunners will continue to pursue his signature despite already having two bids for the England international rejected by the Seagulls.
According to journalist Duncan Castles, Arsenal will table a bid in excess of £40 million for the 23-year-old. Mikel Arteta has prioritized the signing of Ben White as he seeks an ideal partner for Gabriel Magalhaes at the center of defense.
Ben White made a name for himself during his loan spell with Leeds United in the Championship during the 2019-20 season. The defender helped Marcelo Bielsa's side win the Championship that year and thereby gain automatic promotion to the Premier League.
He returned to Brighton last summer after the expiry of his loan deal with Leeds. Despite receiving multiple offers for Ben White from Leeds, Brighton opted to keep hold of Ben White last summer.
The Englishman was one of the club's stand-out players last season as Graham Potter's side avoided relegation and finished sixteenth in the Premier League table. Ben White was named Brighton's Player of the Year for his consistent performances.
He was also selected as the replacement for Trent Alexander-Arnold in Gareth Southgate's England squad for Euro 2020 this summer.
Ben White is reportedly keen to join one of the Premier League's top clubs. Arsenal, Manchester United, and Tottenham have all expressed an interest in the defender but it is Arsenal who are reportedly in pole position to sign him this summer.
'My understanding is Arsenal have now made a third offer for White. That offer came at the beginning of the week. They've increased the guaranteed sum to £40 million. So just £2 million short of the figure that was expected to be the amount that would trigger a transfer that Brighton would accept and allow White to leave," Castle said to the Transfer Window Podcast.
'There is another £6 million in perfomance-related variables. The majority of those should be easily achieved as the majority of them are dependent on Arsenal appearances," he said.
The signing of Ben White could make Arsenal a contender for the Champions League places next season
Arsenal are proving to be the pace setters in the transfer window this summer. The North London club are set to announce the signings of Nuno Tavares and Sami Lokonga in the coming weeks.
The potential signing of Ben White from Brighton will help Arsenal solve their problems at the back. Mikel Arteta will reportedly prioritize the signing of a creative midfielder after completing a move for White.
