Arsenal is looking to bolster defense in the summer transfer window. Brighton defender Ben White has emerged as a prime target to improve defense for the North London club. According to multiple reports in England, Arsenal’s first offer to acquire Ben White was denied by Brighton’s owners. For the English defender, a sum of £40 million is regarded as insufficient.
The Gunners are not wasting any time in the summer transfer market, as they are seeking to make significant changes in order to improve on their disappointing 2020/2021 campaign. The club’s eighth-place finish last season necessitated significant effort and changes at the back and in midfield this transfer market. With some rather players on the club’s transfer list, a slew of fresh faces is expected to join them.
Arsenal is reportedly going to return with a better offer for the 23-year-old center-back, who made 36 Premier League games for Brighton this year after playing the previous season on loan at Leeds. White excelled as Brighton avoided relegation and ended 16th in the Premier League, with the league’s joint-best defense in the bottom half with 46 goals.
White’s impressive performances in Premier League have helped him to get a place in the England squad for Euro 2020. After the departure of David Luiz, Arsenal does need a center-back. However, the arrival of White will surely end William Saliba’s time at the club. The young French center-back was on loan at OGC Nice during the second half of last season.
Apart from White, Athletic has revealed that Edmond Tapsoba from Bayer Leverkusen and Jules Kounde from Sevilla are other center-back targets for Arsenal. However, both players will be much expensive than White.
Meanwhile, Arsenal has also rejected £25 million bid for Emil Smith Rowe from Aston Villa. The youngster is currently negotiating a new deal with Arsenal, so a departure is unlikely to take place this summer. Arteta will be under pressure to get Arsenal back in the Champions League next season after altogether missing out on European football for the upcoming campaign.