[Football] Arsenal’s Ben White

[GT49er]

Anybody who thinks that this sale doesn't weaken us needs their head examined.

Maybe, maybe not. We'd quite possibly never have gone to three at the back if Dunk and Webster hadn't been undroppable, and GP had to slot White in somewhere (including DM at times) to justify not taking the £30M off Leeds.

Absolutely no worries that we'll have got all bases covered. Realistically, breaking that £50M barrier is the only way we'll ever become an established PL team - now we've got there, teams won't think offering £20M, maybe edging up to £25M, should be more than enough to prise a player away from lil' ole Brighton.

 

[SeagullinExile]

It only weakens us if we don't reinvest. But that won't happen.

It's weakened us. End of.

 

[GT49er]

It's weakened us. End of.

No it hasn't. Money in the bank is also very imortant - and we've just (if the reports are true) got it in spades. Selling a player for £50M puts us in a different league altogether. Sixteen years ago, selling a player for £1.5M was a windfall that pretty much kept the wolf from the door. Round about that time Southampton, for example, were selling Theo Walcott to Arsenal and Wayne Bridge to Chelsea for £9.5M each. Since then, having broken into the 'big price sales' market, they've racked up another £380M in transfer fees. That's the way forward and the way we need to go, and that's why it hasn't weakened us.

That's how far we've had to come, that's the sort of gap we had to catch up - and we have. Bissouma, Sanchez, Lamptey - all on the runway and revving up, with succession planning in place. That's how it goes - and I'm loving it!

 

[albionalex]

Anybody who thinks that this sale doesn't weaken us needs their head examined.

It's reasonable to think it won't really weaken our starting 11.

 

[Snowflake]

Here is how I feel. Was Ben going to be sold this Summer. The answer is 90% yes.
So I am not really disappointed if this is true. £50 mill is not to be sniffed at and we could not compete with their wage offer.

What I am disappointed with is. I don’t see Arsenal as a new or exciting challenge over Brighton. So this is purely a $ thing.

Given another year with lil old Brighton and I think A. We could be achieving more than Arsenal and B. He’d get more from a bigger club.

I don’t se Areteta as a better coach than Potter. So he would learn more with us.

Anyway I’m resigned to the fact he’s going. Good luck to him. …….. sort of.

And it really won’t weaken the 11. I truly think Webster is our best Centre back.

 

[SeagullinExile]

It's reasonable to think it won't really weaken our starting 11.

It really isn't.

 

[Washie]

We've lost our third best centre back. He will eclipse all of them in the future, but not right now.

 

[Easy 10]

What I am disappointed with is. I don’t see Arsenal as a new or exciting challenge over Brighton. So this is purely a $ thing.

Ben will likely be doubling / tripling his wages, along with a juicy signing on fee, providing instant security for him and his family. So yeah, the $ thing is a massive factor, in a short career. And there's no way you can say Arsenal isn't a step-up from BHA right now. Then who's to say Arsenal is his final destination ? He's young, talented and ambitious.

You might not see Arsenal as a new or exciting challenge, but I can guarantee the player does.

 

[Snowflake]

Ben will likely be doubling / tripling his wages, along with a juicy signing on fee, providing instant security for him and his family. So yeah, the $ thing is a massive factor, in a short career. And there's no way you can say Arsenal isn't a step-up from BHA right now. Then who's to say Arsenal is his final destination ? He's young, talented and ambitious.

You might not see Arsenal as a new or exciting challenge, but I can guarantee the player does.

I disagree there is every way you can say Arsenal isn’t a big step up from Brighton. There are very clear arguments to say it isn’t. The player can say that from a money perspective and that I have no argument. But from a challenge perspective I really must protest that is nonsense.

 

[HastingsSeagull]

Veltman can shine with Lamptey also playing now. Burn as depth. Dunk and Webster better than White (just) right now too but do love White and think he'll get better and better.

Proud of our club this morning and hope we have many more stories like this after top English talent comes here and moves up for massive profits.

 

[wellquickwoody]

It's weakened us. End of.

And when others come in we get stronger again hopefully, with about 20 mill in TBs or the clubs coffers with any luck.

Should we just have held onto him (and/or others) forever?

 

[ShandyH]

I like White but let’s face it, he’s the sort of person who’s always looking over your shoulder for something more interesting. And for that, he can dance the merry dance away from the club that gave him a home and nurtured him through a very considered process and gave him freedom to express himself. He’s our third best CB and he knows it.

Brighton was never good enough for him. Veltman is a better player in the same position for £900k.


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[dwayne]

Will be interesting to see how he does. Rolls Royce on the ball. Very rarely makes a mistake. But I just don't have many amazing memories of him from last season like I do with Dunk. The two moments that stick in my mind are Vs Rashford and Foden and both times he got the runaround.

Think he will do ok at Arsenal, nothing special and will eventually go back to Leeds !!

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[um bongo molongo]

And when others come in we get stronger again hopefully, with about 20 mill in TBs or the clubs coffers with any luck.

Should we just have held onto him (and/or others) forever?

This is the key I think. If we end up giving 20M of it to Celtic for Edouard and 15M to Getafe for Cucurella, and 10M for a decent CB I’ve never heard of, I’ll be very happy with the business. Right now, we’re weaker.

 

[big nuts]

I like White but let’s face it, he’s the sort of person who’s always looking over your shoulder for something more interesting. And for that, he can dance the merry dance away from the club that gave him a home and nurtured him through a very considered process and gave him freedom to express himself. He’s our third best CB and he knows it.

Brighton was never good enough for him. Veltman is a better player in the same position for £900k.


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How do you know Ben White? Personally or professionally? Are you his dad, auntie or cousin? Pet Labrador, his gardener or piano tuner?

If he does leave, make sure you wish him all the best from us.

 

[Icy Gull]

Will be interesting to see how he does. Rolls Royce on the ball. Very rarely makes a mistake. But I just don't have many amazing memories of him from last season like I do with Dunk. The two moments that stick in my mind are Vs Rashford and Foden and both times he got the runaround.

Think he will do ok at Arsenal, nothing special and will eventually go back to Leeds !!

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I thought the same, few amazing memories but always pleased to see him on the team sheet, then I saw this montage and realised that if he does goes we will very definitely miss him. Too many on here are playing down his importance to last season. I had hoped we might be able to hang on to him for one more season but that went out the window with the hype after he made the England squad

https://youtu.be/-V_RCOA_dow

 

[stss30]

I think this is a good move, he was always going to leave at some point and don't think we would have got much more for him even if he'd stayed another season and had a stormer, fair play to the club and TB for holding out for the fee we demanded.

I think it's been well documented on here that he was probably our 3rd best centre back last season behind Dunk and Webster in most peoples eyes. He's got a lot of great qualities and I believe he'll go to the top, no doubt he might even be ahead of Mings & Coady in the next England squad now he's playing for a 'bigger club'. I think my only slight doubt about his game is his positioning at times, he has a superb passing range and is great at retaining and carrying the ball, but he sometimes relies on making last ditch challenges because of his positioning in my view.

Will be interesting to see what happens for us in the centre back area, I really like the look of Ositgard from what I've seen, and Veltman is a great centre back too. Would perhaps favour us signing another wingback on the right hand side to compete with Lamptey, so Veltman can be stationed centrally more permanently. Can see us signing another young CB at the very least, maybe two if Ostigard isn't fancied. Presume we are trying to offload Duffy after the criticism playing for Celtic last season, but to be fair he's not let us down as an option off the bench when we're trying to see out games. When playing with three at the back you do generally need 5-6 CB options due to injury and suspension, but personally would rather have BDB/Duffy low down that pecking order, or not included at all.

 

[nwgull]

I presume there will a large solidarity payment to Leeds ?

Joking aside, my understanding from having read Articles 20&21 of FIFA’s transfer regs (training compensation and solidarity payments) are that they won’t receive a penny as he was already 21 by the time we loaned him to Leeds so they don’t count as a ‘training club’.

 

[Garry Nelson's Left Foot]

I think some people are over playing this third best centre back claim.

Defensively over the course of the season you can say it's true but he got better and better as the season went on. Particularly in the second half of the season I don't think there was much in it on the defensive front and of Dunk, Webster and himself he has the most potential and room to get even better. Plus there's what he brings to the team when we have the ball. He has a really good range of passing, is incredibly calm and composed and carries the ball out of defense as well as any centre back in the league. On top of which he bombs forward on over/underlaps.

If these rumours prove to be false and he is in fact our player next season he'll make a mockery of the 'third best' centre back claims. I think they're just a classic example of down playing once a player leaves/doesn't sign.

If the rumours are true and he is Arsenal bound I hope they don't turn him into the shitshow that pretty much all their defenders have become over the past decade.

 

[Perfidious Albion]

People always start to put a player down if he leaves. TB has said that he would only go if the deal was right for the club and I am sure that will be the case. They must feel that it is good business.
No doubt he is a quality player with a future .His England performances showed that.
Good luck to him .
We have sold players before for what were,to us, big fees,.. Virgo, Zamora, Ward . The club survived and now we prosper. No one is indispensable. Onwards and upwards.