Ben White trains with Arsenal for the first time following £50 million move from Brighton

Ben White trains with Arsenal for the first time following £50 million move from Brighton and could make his debut against Chelsea in a pre-season friendly

  • Ben White revealed he struggled to keep the transfer quiet during the summer
  • White believes he can help the Gunners ‘level up’ after a disappointing season
  • The 23-year-old is prepared to play in different positions to help the team 
  • Arsenal will host London rivals Chelsea in a pre-season friendly on Sunday 

Ben White has trained with Arsenal for the first time following his £50 million move from Brighton.

White, who was a late call-up to England’s Euro 2020 squad completed his move to the Emirates on Friday after he returned from holiday. 

The 23-year-old has been given the No 4 shirt and could be in line to make his debut in a pre-season friendly against Chelsea on Sunday, and White revealed he struggled to keep the transfer a secret during the summer.

Ben White trained with Arsenal for the first time and could make his debut against Chelsea

White (left) with assistant coach Carlos Cuesta at Arsenal's London Colney training ground

White (left) with assistant coach Carlos Cuesta at Arsenal’s London Colney training ground

‘It’s been a while, hasn’t it,’ he told Arsenal Media. ‘Obviously I’ve known for quite a while and it’s taken longer than I thought it would, but I’m buzzing to be here. 

‘It’s been hard to not tell anyone to be fair. I told my family to keep it quiet. 

‘Even when I was on holiday I was getting asked whether I am or not. It was tough but I managed to keep it [quiet].

‘I think [I found out] when I was with England, that’s when it got a bit more serious. It was obviously nice to find out and to be here is absolutely unbelievable.’ 

White (left) trains alongside new team mate Emile Smith Rowe ahead of the Chelsea game

White (left) trains alongside new team mate Emile Smith Rowe ahead of the Chelsea game

Arsenal finished eighth last season, and missed out on European football for the first time in 25 years. However, White is confident that he can help the Gunners have a more successful campaign this time around.

He added: ‘I’m really happy to be at a massive club like this and hopefully bring the level up of this team. 

‘When times get hard in games, I can step up and control situations. I’m very relaxed on the ball and through that I can produce quality in bad moments of the game.

‘My main [position] is obviously centre back. That’s where I’ve developed over the years. I’ve slotted into different positions to help the team and I feel like I can do that to help the team. If I need to do that this season, I’ll definitely be up for it.’

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