Ben White may have been a crucial player for Arsenal since he arrived at the Emirates in 2021, but his ongoing injury issues are a genuine cause for concern for Mikel Arteta.
The English right-back has fallen behind Jurrien Timber in the pecking order in N5, while he’s been limited to just five Premier League starts this term. After missing out on Arsenal’s 4-1 win over Tottenham Hotspur at the weekend due to injury, the question has been raised over whether the Gunners should move on from White this summer.
Cristhian Mosquera performed adeptly off the bench against Spurs in the 28-year-old’s absence, but the Spaniard is primarily a centre-back. Thus, right-back would certainly be a position Arsenal would need to address if they were to sanction White’s departure, and here are three potential options which they could look at.
Tino Livramento
Age: 23
Club: Newcastle
Tino Livramento has been loosely linked with Arsenal over the last 12 months, and it’s certainly a deal that would make a lot of sense. Comfortable at both right-back and left-back, the Newcastle defender fits the Arsenal mould of being versatile and well-rounded, while he’s also in the perfect age bracket for being an option as a competitor to Timber.
Not only is he an outstanding one-on-one defender, but Livramento is also comfortable in possession and can provide significant value to the Gunners’ attack, with lung-bursting overlapping runs and accurate cut-backs.
6 – Tino Livramento recorded six interceptions today against Manchester United – aged 18 years and 283 days, he is the youngest player to make as many interceptions in a single Premier League match since Luke Shaw (6) for Southampton vs Reading in December 2012. Route.
— OptaJoe (@OptaJoe) August 22, 2021
That said, there are a couple of stumbling blocks when looking at a potential deal. Firstly, like White, Livramento has his own injury issues, which are threatening his development as a footballer. Secondly, Newcastle are unlikely to facilitate his departure without significant compensation – he could prove to be far too expensive.
Ivan Fresneda
Age: 21
Club: Sporting
A blast from the past, Ivan Fresneda has been on Arsenal’s radar for some time. The Gunners were heavily linked with the Spaniard back when he initially broke through into Real Valladolid’s first team in 2022.
However, after injury issues and signs of stagnation, he ultimately signed for Sporting in 2023 and has quietly been improving with the Portuguese giants ever since. The links with a move to the Emirates have reemerged in the last few days, and it would not be a surprise to see Arsenal launch an attempt to sign him given how fond they are of Spanish players.
Fresneda spent much of his early days as a centre-back, before transitioning into being predominantly a full-back in recent years. He shares similarities with White stylistically, which could make him a logical, like-for-like replacement.
Michael Kayode
Age: 21
Club: Brentford
Aside from Fresneda and Livramento, there have been few concrete reports linking Arsenal to right-backs at this stage. Thus, this final option is more of a suggestion rather than being based on credible reporting.
9% – Lowest dribbled past percentage for full backs/wing backs in the Premier League this season (min. 30 true tackle attempts):
— OptaJoe (@OptaJoe) December 17, 2025
9% – Jurriën Timber (5/57)
11% – Reinildo Mandava (4/38)
13% – Michael Kayode (6/46)
13% – Riccardo Calafiori (6/45)
16% – Reece James (7/44)
Lock. pic.twitter.com/BxRhdl9DTu
Arsenal will no doubt be in the market for someone under the age of 23, and Brentford’s Michael Kayode fits this profile. The Italian has taken the Premier League by storm this term with his trademark long throws, and given the Gunners’ obsession with maximising threat from set-pieces, it wouldn’t be a shock if they tried to add this weapon to their wheelhouse.
While possessing this unique threat and boasting outstanding defensive attributes, Kayode would need to improve in possession if he were to make the step up. That said, at 21, it’s certainly plausible that he can make this improvement, which makes him a very intriguing potential option on the market.
