Ben White should be a good signing for Arsenal, but was too expensive for Manchester United, according to former Red Devils midfielder Luke Chadwick.
The England international is widely expected to complete a move to the Emirates Stadium soon after impressing in his time at Brighton, as well as on loan at Leeds United.
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A recent report from Sky Sports claimed that White would soon be undergoing a medical ahead of completing a £50million move to the Gunners…
Pictures courtesy of Sky Sports
Chadwick is a big fan of White, but believes the move probably wouldn’t have made as much financial sense for Man Utd, who would do well to go for a more proven player like Raphael Varane.
“I think Ben White’s got incredible potential, he’s shown that on loan at Leeds and with Brighton last season,” Chadwick told CaughtOffside. “But I think the price tag may have put a lot of clubs off.
“He’s maybe not the most proven player in the Premier League just yet, though in fairness I think it’s a good move for him to go to Arsenal. Having paid that much for him I think they’ll build their defence around him and it’s an opportunity for him to start every game, and really prove himself at a big club.
“Arsenal are struggling at the minute and looking to get back towards the top of the league, so I think it’s a good move for all sides. If you look at the price tag and United can get hold of Varane for a similar price, I think it makes sense to go for a proven player, a World Cup winner, who can hit the ground running.
“So I’m not that surprised United didn’t go in for Ben White at that price, but I do think he’s got brilliant potential and it could be a good move for Arsenal.”
Arsenal have made a strong start to the summer with deals for Albert Sambi Lokonga and Nuno Tavares, while White should end up being another fine purchase to improve the side that struggled so much last season.
Still, Chadwick is not yet convinced that Mikel Arteta has the quality of players he needs all over the pitch to get the club back into the top four.
“I think they’ll struggle to make the Champions League places, there’s still a lot of work to do at Arsenal,” Chadwick said.
“It’s a big rebuilding job that Arteta’s got. He needs to sign a lot of players to get them playing the way he wants them to play.
“Arteta seems like a good guy and he’s learned a lot from Pep Guardiola, but it’s going to take time and Arsenal fans are going to have to be patient.
“They’re still a few years away from being where they should be for a club of their stature.”