[Football] Arsenal’s Ben White

[herecomesaregular]

From standing watching the goal posts being destroyed vs York, to sitting watching Ben White (talent) being roasted by Foden (mega talent) in the top league, to then seeing said player sold for £50m plus. Quite a journey. Almost unbelievable really.

The club have played a blinder nurturing White and selling him for a massive fee but have to agree that it doesn't feel an emotional loss. White may go on to be a top, top player a la Lawrenson but it's not yet a shoo-in. Also, agree it;s a shame it's Arsenal. Use to have them as my 2nd team (to have some interest in MoTD back in the Graham era when we were lower league stuffing boys) but lost any love for them, firstly, after visiting the Emirates (in comparison to standing on the North Bank a few times) and then the covid redundancies (oh but finding the money for a £50m transfer) and then the ESL farce.

I would have liked to see White move to Italy or Spain which could really suit his game. Still questions he's strong enough to face the roughness of the EPL, particularly in the air and positionally.

Good luck to the lad - though but can't really say "thanks for the memories" (unlike a Leeds fan I suppose).

 

[Munkfish]

Good Luck Ben. Do us proud.

Good move for all concerned. Shows we won’t sell cheap however to players coming though we will sell at the right price.

As it’s already been said Arsenal seems like a poor move, they are a total mess of a team.

 

[Sid in the Sharknado]

Not surprised but a little disappointed BW said that he didn’t need much convincing to join Arsenal. Some things are better left unsaid given that he had been here for 8 years

He's hardly going to tell them that they had to prize his fingers off the doorframe at Lancing with a crowbar, is he?

 

[Badger Boy]

I really cannot get over how good a deal this is for our football club. He was good last season and obviously a real talent, but he's never really felt like our player. Getting £50m for him is incredible business. We already have the cover in the squad to cope with his departure, the funds are a massive boost to the operational side of our club and as others have said - it shows we will sell for the right fee for the club. Players don't need to worry about coming here and becoming stuck, it will help us attract players like Mwepu and Bissouma into the future. I'm delighted the transfer has gone through, good luck to Ben and thanks for being such a solid professional.

 

[BN9 BHA]

He's hardly going to tell them that they had to prize his fingers off the doorframe at Lancing with a crowbar, is he?

 

[Jim in the West]

Can I be contrary and say that, whilst I understand the money is important to the sustainability of the club, the value of the transfer does absolutely nothing for me, it could be 1m, 50m, 200m - I can't get excited about it. For me it doesn't atone for the loss of one of the brightest prospects we've ever had at the club. Its true that White's time here feels very transient, we've barely seen him play, been unable to forge a connection from the stands, so there isn't a personal element to this, but as a talent I am sure he will go to the very very top. I would rather have kept him than Bissouma. His sale also reinforces what we all know to be true, but dare to dream otherwise, that we can never get to the very top of the game because there will always be a bigger club taking our best players. Ultimately we haven't sold White because we needed the money, we've sold him because he wanted to leave for a bigger club. C'est la vie, as Neal Maupay would undoubtedly say.

Except we MAY have needed the money. Even before Covid our cash outgoings were massively more than our incomings. It was unsustainable. Then you add Covid and the loss of match day revenue for more than a whole season (and the risk that some restrictions return). Tony Bloom is obviously very wealthy, but we cannot keep relying on his largesse. And if we do have our eyes set on a few additions, it's great going into the rest of the transfer window £40m (net) to the good [with Palace £40m down]

 

[peterward]

[tweet]1421448863735504901[/tweet]

 

[dazzer6666]

I really cannot get over how good a deal this is for our football club. He was good last season and obviously a real talent, but he's never really felt like our player. Getting £50m for him is incredible business. We already have the cover in the squad to cope with his departure, the funds are a massive boost to the operational side of our club and as others have said - it shows we will sell for the right fee for the club. Players don't need to worry about coming here and becoming stuck, it will help us attract players like Mwepu and Bissouma into the future. I'm delighted the transfer has gone through, good luck to Ben and thanks for being such a solid professional.

Nailed it. By comparison, I would have been more upset if it had been Webster (let alone Dunk).

 

[GT49er]

[tweet]1421448863735504901[/tweet]

Yes, he's gone. We've taken the money, wished him good luck and waved him goodbye. That's it.


So now, how is Ostigard showing up in pre-season training?

 

[METALMICKY]

Personally I think the verdict on White is still a little out. What with his age of course massive potential. Yes he was good for us last season but not exceptional. Bizarrely I think we have Leeds to thank for helping generate the hype and ultimately getting us a good deal. And all that hype was about his form in the Championship. Consistently in the premier league is a different matter and I'm not convinced arsenal were the right team for him. Best of luck to him but it's not a disaster.

 

[Joey Jo Jo Jr. Shabadoo]

So now, how is Ostigard showing up in pre-season training?

He looks like a beast in the new away kit.

 

[Brighton & Love]

He looks like a beast in the new away kit.
View attachment 139142

He looks mint.

 

[Kalimantan Gull]

Except we MAY have needed the money. Even before Covid our cash outgoings were massively more than our incomings. It was unsustainable. Then you add Covid and the loss of match day revenue for more than a whole season (and the risk that some restrictions return). Tony Bloom is obviously very wealthy, but we cannot keep relying on his largesse. And if we do have our eyes set on a few additions, it's great going into the rest of the transfer window £40m (net) to the good [with Palace £40m down]

We've signed Mwepu for £20m, Scherpen for £4m or so and have apparently bid £15m or so for Cucurella - no, I don't think we NEED the money. Selling White obviously is a boost to the coffers, but it certainly isn't against his wishes. White is going because he wants to be at the very top, and thats fine, he just can't see that being with us. Or maybe its because he wants a big pay-rise, after all, both Arsenal and Brighton can offer zero european club football and a place in the England squad next season. But its understandable either way. Shame though.

 

[Kalimantan Gull]

I could get behind this if the Albion were still the lickle club it always was.
Or like 'oh I don't know' take palace as an example, and we only produced 1 talent a 'big' club actually wants to spend big money on.

I see this very much as the king is dead long live the king.

The club loaded with young potential




Ben Who?

King is dead, long live the king. Don't disagree, but it does it just become a conveyor belt? If it can help you move up, fine, but if you just stand still producing and then losing talent to the big clubs, at what point does it become very annoying?

In the last ten years Southampton have sold Walcott, Oxlade-Chamberlain, van Dijk, Sadio Mane, Luke Shaw, Lovren, Lallana, Clyne, Hojberg and Chambers, many of which were made at the club. Add a keeper and thats a hell of team, stick Bale and Ings in there and its a great squad. They all moved on to compete at the highest level and win things, but if they had all stayed they wouldn't have needed to move on to win things. A dilemma.

But yes, we are loaded with potential, and trust them to use it right

 

[Stat Brother]

King is dead, long live the king. Don't disagree, but it does it just become a conveyor belt? If it can help you move up, fine, but if you just stand still producing and then losing talent to the big clubs, at what point does it become very annoying?

In the last ten years Southampton have sold Walcott, Oxlade-Chamberlain, van Dijk, Sadio Mane, Luke Shaw, Lovren, Lallana, Clyne, Hojberg and Chambers, many of which were made at the club. Add a keeper and thats a hell of team, stick Bale and Ings in there and its a great squad. They all moved on to compete at the highest level and win things, but if they had all stayed they wouldn't have needed to move on to win things. A dilemma.

But yes, we are loaded with potential, and trust them to use it right

The last line is key.

The difference in club ownership between them and the Albion is night and day.
Plus how many years ago was Walcott?

I think you'll be unlucky for your favourite player to be put on the conveyor belt each summer.

 

[Sid in the Sharknado]

We've signed Mwepu for £20m, Scherpen for £4m or so and have apparently bid £15m or so for Cucurella - no, I don't think we NEED the money. Selling White obviously is a boost to the coffers, but it certainly isn't against his wishes. White is going because he wants to be at the very top, and thats fine, he just can't see that being with us. Or maybe its because he wants a big pay-rise, after all, both Arsenal and Brighton can offer zero european club football and a place in the England squad next season. But its understandable either way. Shame though.

That spend will have been made in the expectation of receiving ~£50m for White though, so it doesn't follow that because we've spent that money we didn't have to sell. The gamble with selling is that we can cover the loss of White (or generally any player) and improve elsewhere.

 

[Robinjakarta]

White is going because he wants to be at the very top, and thats fine, he just can't see that being with us. Or maybe its because he wants a big pay-rise.

White has gone because the club accepted an offer from Arsenal. It was the club's decision, not his.

 

[Stat Brother]

[tweet]1421856932093124611[/tweet]

 

[Cowfold Seagull]

He looks mint.

I still swear that shirt looks more sky blue than mint green.

Must make an appointment at Specsavers in the morning.

 

[Cowfold Seagull]

We've signed Mwepu for £20m, Scherpen for £4m or so and have apparently bid £15m or so for Cucurella - no, I don't think we NEED the money. Selling White obviously is a boost to the coffers, but it certainly isn't against his wishes. White is going because he wants to be at the very top, and thats fine, he just can't see that being with us. Or maybe its because he wants a big pay-rise, after all, both Arsenal and Brighton can offer zero european club football and a place in the England squad next season. But its understandable either way. Shame though.

If it's true, and if pressed, l would very reluctantly have to agree with Ben, yes he does have more chance of reaching the very top with the Gooners, than he does with us.

That said though, how much of the move was his decision? the club may well have made that for him. There is no way that Tony would have rejected a bid of that magnitude. £50m for a player with one season's Premier League experience? that's crazy money.