Kevin Campbell is delighted to hear that Ben White is edging closer to signing a new contract at Arsenal.
Transfer expert Fabrizio Romano posted on Monday morning, via Twitter, that Arsenal are ‘confident’ that their versatile defender will put pen-to-paper on a new deal.
That resulted in Kevin Campbell saying he is ‘happy, happy, happy’ that Ben White is going to stay for the long-term, as he told the Highbury Squad.
When Mikel Arteta’s Arsenal signed the England international in 2021, he joined for a big transfer fee and after only one full season in the Premier League for Brighton and Hove Albion.
There were a lot of people criticising the 26-year-old’s signing, but that quickly changed once they saw him and Gabriel thrive at the heart of the defence.
When William Saliba joined the party last season, Ben White was pushed to right-back, and once again, he was questioned, but as Campbell pointed out, he has ‘made that right-back spot his own’.
Ben White’s new contract
“Happy, happy, happy,” said Campbell. “Tie down all your good quality young players. Tie them down for long contracts. And these guys are only going to get better together.
“Ben White, do you remember many people questioned him at right-back? Really questioned him at right-back.
“But he has gone on from strength to strength and he has made that right-back spot his own. I think, because of his versatility, it will be great to see Jurrien Timber come back and, at times, we could mix and match – tie him down. Tie him down.”
Strong start to the season for Ben White
Arsenal picked up a valuable and deserved 1-0 win over Manchester City before the international break to stick their chest out in the Premier League title race.
It was a defensive masterclass from Arteta and his players, as it could be argued that White was one of the best players on the pitch.
He was outstanding on that right side, like he had been during the opening few months of the campaign., and proving again why he is an underrated figure in this title-chasing Arsenal side.
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