Duncan Castles: Arsenal interest in Ben White being 'driven' by Mikel Arteta
Mikel Arteta is a big fan of Ben White and is keen to bring the defender to Arsenal this summer
Arsenal’s interest in signing Ben White from Brighton and Hove Albion is being “driven” by Mikel Arteta, who is a huge admirer of the defender, according to Duncan Castles.
The north London side have been strongly linked with a move to bring the central defender to The Emirates in recent days as the Gunners look to strengthen their rearguard options ahead of next season.
Arsenal are widely reported to have had at least one bid for Rice turned down by the Seagulls as the Gunners look to conclude a deal for the England defender.
The 23-year-old White was a mainstay in the Brighton team last season and he made 36 appearances in the Premier League as the Seagulls finished in 16th place in the table.
Now, journalist Castles has revealed that Arteta is a big fan of White, and he views him as a potential captain of Arsenal in the not-too-distant future should he complete a move to The Emirates this summer.
Speaking on the Transfer Window Podcast on 25 June, Castles said: “The other thing I’m hearing is that this [Arsenal’s interest in White] is very much being driven by Mikel Arteta.
“He wants White in. He is impressed not just by the player’s technical qualities, speed and abilities on the ball, he likes his character. He likes his intelligence.
“I’m told that Arteta even sees him as a potential future captain of Arsenal given that he’s English, the position he plays in the field because centre-half is always a good place to captain a side from, so therefore he’s pushing sporting director Edu to go the extra mile to get this deal done.”
Arsenal are thought to be on the lookout for a number of new signings this summer as Arteta prepares for his second full season in charge at the club.
