Duncan Castles has provided an update on Ben White’s potential move to Arsenal, on the Transfer Window Podcast.
White incoming
White has been Arsenal’s most expensive transfer target of the summer so far, and it seems that the move is almost ready to be announced now.
Arsenal have agreed all terms with Brighton & Hove Albion, with the player now undergoing a medical away from London Colney.
White will then visit Arsenal’s training ground for further tests later this week, before the deal will be made official.
“I’m told that Ben White is taking medical scans today, his first part of his medical for Arsenal,” Castles said.
“Later in the week he’s due to go to Arsenal’s training ground and take biometric tests to complete that medical.
“Everything is agreed club to club. The fee is a guaranteed £50 million, which is the second highest transfer fee ever exchanged for a central defender.
“£30 million of that will be paid in one calendar year to Brighton and then two more payments of £10 million in following seasons.
“There’s over £5 million of performance related variables in terms of Ben White at international level and then club achievements by Arsenal.
“He will sign a four year contract at Arsenal, assuming he passes the medical and his salary will increase to around £6 million a year.”
Big fee
Given the fee that Arsenal have paid to sign White it is widely expected that he will walk straight into their starting line-up.
It is, however, not yet clear whether he will partner Rob Holding, Gabriel or Pablo Mari.
Whoever Arsenal pick, they are likely to have one of the younger centre-back pairings in the Premier League.
Arsenal have let go of David Luiz this summer already, with Arteta backing youth over experience.
And White is clearly a player who Arsenal feel Arteta can really develop on the training ground, given the fee that the have paid to sign him.