Arteta lines up "brave" Arsenal star for new contract after silencing doubters
Ben White is likely to be the next Arsenal player to be rewarded with a new contract.
The Gunners have already gone through a raft of contract renewals including Martin Odegaard, Gabriel Martinelli and Bukayo Saka. Manager Mikel Arteta is well aware of how important it is to keep hold of the array of talent at his disposal to what he is building at the Emirates and recognises former Brighton man White as a vital part of the Arsenal project.
Eyebrows were raised when Arteta agreed to part ways with £50million to bring the England international to the club from the Amex in 2021 and the question marks continued to linger after an infamously shaky debut at Brentford. However, two years on White is undoubtedly Arsenal's Mr. Reliable and is now in line to be rewarded for his impressive performances.
The 25-year-old's current deal does not expire until 2026, but such is Arteta's desperation to keep hold of White, the Arsenal boss is preparing to offer the versatile defender a bumper new deal. The Gunners have seen a number of their most important assets commit their long-term future to the club in recent months.
As mentioned, Odegaard, Martinelli and Saka have all put pen to paper on new deals, as have William Saliba, Reiss Nelson and Aaron Ramsdale. White is believed to be happy under Arteta's reign at the Emirates and his manager has often gone public with his love for the right-back.
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The Spaniard has previously described White as "brave", "really talented" and a "fighter" in the recent Amazon 'All or Nothing' series centred around the club. "He trains like he's playing the Champions League final. That's why he's come a long way in such a short time in his career," he added. "Ben has the capacity to play in different positions and that’s a big plus for any player."
White's ability to play a number of different roles has certainly helped him thrive at Arsenal. Having spent the entirety of his debut season operating as a centre-back, the ex-Leeds loanee is now one of the most consistent right-backs in the Premier League.
HAVE YOUR SAY! Where does White rank among the league's best right-backs? Comment below
Ben White is in line for a new Arsenal contractJust before the current campaign got underway, White discussed his change in position and admits he relishes the challenge of his newer role. "Being a full-back, you come up against a winger, always like when I'm playing against [Wilfred] Zaha I'm like, 'I want it', do you know what I mean? It's so good, I want to test myself against someone like that," he told ESPN.
White went on by addressing his mindset when tasked with trying to nullify some of the league's most lethal attackers from right-back.
"You know, they're really good players that you're playing against so any edge you can get for me, I think I like that side of it. If I can do that to someone and stop them running at me the whole game then that's what I'll be doing."
There have been some concerns among fans and pundits alike over Arsenal's attack this season, but their defence has been impressive and White has more than played his part in that. The Gunners have shipped six goals so far this term, the joint-third best defensive effort in the Premier League.
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