English Premier League club Arsenal are unwilling to sell defender Ben White amid rumours of interest from Everton and title rivals Manchester City.
White has dropped down the pecking order at the Emirates since Arsenal signed Jurrien Timber from Ajax. The Englishman joined the Gunners from Brighton in 2021, in a deal worth €58.5 million and was the go-to man for Mikel Arteta at right-back until this season.
This season, he has featured in just 13 games across all competitions. As such, there have been talks that he might be mulling over a potential exit.
In recent weeks, the 28-year-old defender has been linked to clubs like Monaco, Everton, Manchester City, and former Serie A champions Juventus. All these clubs are looking to bolster their backline for the second half of the campaign, and they believe that White can help them.
The former Brighton man is valued at around €30 million, and that is a decent and affordable price for most of the clubs interested in him.
However, according to fresh reports from BBC Sport, Arsenal are unwilling to let Ben White go. This is because Arteta still sees him as an important squad player and wants him to stay as they challenge for the Premier League, Champions League, and the two other domestic cups in England.
Moreover, he still has a bit over two years left on his contract, so Arsenal do not risk losing him for free anytime soon.
But White might consider pushing for a move if any of his suitors tempt him with more playing time. Recall that this is a World Cup year and he might be eyeing a place in coach Thomas Tuchel’s England squad list. And only regular minutes would put him in contention.
Nonetheless, any club that really wants White will have to move quickly because the winter transfer window will close in 17 days.
