Football London
With David Luiz departing North London this summer and William Saliba once again heading out on loan, it was always going to be important for Arsenal to add extra depth and quality to their backline.
Not only was Mikel Arteta losing an experienced leader, but also someone who had the ability to drive forward and pick out progressive passes to other teammates further up the pitch.
It is a style of player which fits into the type of football the manager wants to play, passing out from the back and progressing play into midfield or wide areas of the attacking line.
After suffering defeat against Liverpool at Anfield last season, Arteta made it clear that his side could not match the quality of their opponents and hinted that they were lacking one key attribute.
“They keep going, they have bodies, they have quality,” Arteta said. “You put them under pressure with a perfect high press and van Dijk hits an 80-yard ball to Salah’s chest. This is quality and that’s why they paid £80million for this guy.”
The recent addition of Ben White can link directly to these comments, as he is also someone who is known to be very good with the ball at his feet.
The England international is also a fantastic passer, whether that be short or long-range, although the latter is definitely a standout part of his game.
While Van Dijk hit a number of crossfield passes out to Salah on the right flank when the Gunners lost at Anfield last season, White can be expected to repeat a similar tactic to find Kieran Tierney’s overlapping runs on the Arsenal left, as he demonstrated in the pre-season friendly defeat at Tottenham on Sunday.
White is a ball-playing centre-half, and because he has experience of filling in at right-back and defensive midfield as well, his control and dribbling skills are perhaps more developed than the typical central defender.
An added bonus is White’s pace, it enables him to deal with attackers who possess quick feet and speed a lot more smoothly, whilst offering something which the likes of Rob Holding and Pablo Mari cannot.
After the signing of White was announced, Arteta touched on why he was keen on bringing the 23-year-old to the Emirates.
“Ben is an intelligent defender who is very comfortable with the ball at his feet and his style fits perfectly with us. And of course, he is still young, so his age and profile fits with what we are building here. We are all looking forward to Ben being central to our future long-term plans.”
The former Brighton man may not be on the same level as someone like Van Djik right now, but the potential is most definitely there. Those who have worked with him over the years and watched his progress closely, all believe that White has what it takes to become one of the most complete and established centre-backs in the country. They also expect he will be a regular starter for England in the future.
As someone who has played in all top four English leagues, White also brings experience to the side. It hasn’t always been easy for him throughout his career, however, and he has worked extremely hard to get to where he is today.
In 2014, White was released by Southampton at the age of 16, he then joined Brighton where he initially played with the Under-18’s and Under-23’s.
White went on to spend loan spells with Newport County, Peterborough and Leeds. The 23-year-old impressed at all three clubs whilst consi…
