Arsenal announce Ben White signing

The worst-kept secret of the summer transfer window is finally out — Arsenal have signed Ben White from Brighton & Hove Albion. The Gunners will pay the Seagulls somewhere in the neighborhood of £50M for the England international. He has reportedly signed a five-year deal at the Emirates with a club option for a sixth. Judging by the signing video and the pictures, he’ll wear #4 (which had previously belonged to William Saliba, so eyes emoji).

Said Mikel Arteta:

Ben was a top target for us and it’s great that we’ve completed his signing. Ben has been educated with two very good clubs, Brighton and Leeds, in recent seasons. He has benefited well from two very good coaching set-ups and has shown with both Brighton and on loan with Leeds what a strong talent he is. Ben is an intelligent defender who is very comfortable with the ball at his feet and his style fits perfectly with us. And of course, he is still young, so his age and profile fits with what we are building here.

We’ve already written plenty about Ben White as the rumor progressed over the summer, how he might fit into the setup at Arsenal, his on-field strengths, and how he is part of the bigger transfer strategy put in place by Arteta and Edu. And I’m sure we’ll have more for you in the coming days diving deeper into the numbers and the tactics.

But for now, let’s get excited about a shiny, new toy. Welcome to Arsenal, Ben!