At a Glance:
- Ben White has suffered from injuries and fallen behind Jurrien Timber in the pecking order at Arsenal.
- Everton are now interested in signing the right-back.
- Tino Livramento is a potential replacement for White.
It’s been well documented that Ben White could leave Arsenal in the upcoming summer transfer window, and a potential suitor for the player has now emerged.
The Gunners spent in excess of £250 million on eight new players last summer, leaving certain stars on the periphery of Mikel Arteta’s squad. Myles Lewis-Skelly could depart in the next six months, with Manchester United interested in signing the 19-year-old, while Gabriel Jesus has also been linked with an exit.
White is on this list of players Arteta may reluctantly sanction a sale for. The defender has been plagued by injuries this season, while Jurrien Timber has firmly overtaken him in the pecking order.
The Gunners are subsequently eager to sign a younger and less injury-prone player in this position, and Everton are now looking to take advantage and land White.
Everton interested in Ben White
White has managed just over 1,000 minutes across all competitions this season. The right-back has spent time on the sidelines with three separate injuries, and this inability to remain fit has made it difficult for Arteta to trust him when he has been available.
Timber is now the undisputed first choice, and Arsenal are subsequently looking to cash in and find a younger, more durable competitor to the Dutchman. The likes of Tino Livramento and Wesley Franca have been mooted as a potential targets for Andrea Berta.
White received a surprise call-up by Thomas Tuchel this week, earning his spot in an England squad for the first time since 2022. Arsenal will hope the player remains in Tuchel’s plans, as this status as a Three Lions international could certainly drive his price up.
Writing on X, reliable Arsenal source HandofArsenal revealed that Everton are among the list of potential suitors for White.
Everton are showing strong interest in Ben White. While other clubs have made enquiries, it is the Toffees who are leading the race as of today.
— HandofArsenal (@HandofArsenal) March 24, 2026
The strategy is the same as last summer…
Andrea has been identifying multiple targets, their personal terms, price range and squad…
While other clubs have ‘made enquiries’, the Toffees are currently leading the race to secure the services of the experienced Englishman. David Moyes currently deploys one of Jake O’Brien or James Garner out of position at right-back, and thus, it’s no surprise that the Merseysiders are in the market for a player in this position.
White would certainly slot seamlessly into Everton’s squad, and given Arteta’s strong relationship with Moyes, a deal may not be too difficult to enact.
Should Arsenal replace Ben White with Tino Livramento?
While there are certainly reasons to sell White – his injury record and age among them – Arsenal shouldn’t be pushing the defender out the door. He’s proven in the last two games that he’s still an excellent player who gives the Gunners something different to Timber.
Timber is an outstanding one-on-one defender, excellent at carrying the ball between the lines and effective at popping up in dangerous areas inside the opposition box. However, the Netherlands international doesn’t quite possess the same passing ability as White, while the quality of his crosses and cut-backs in the final third is significantly worse.
At the moment, Arsenal have the perfect balance of attributes between both their right-backs. In an ideal world, both would be fit all the time, and Arteta would be able to select either based on the opposition on the day.
| Statistical Comparison 2024/25 (League Only) | ||
| Stat | White | Livramento |
| Appearances | 7 | 15 |
| Pass Accuracy | 82.9% | 89.4% |
| Touches per 90 | 71.39 | 66.34 |
| Duels Won per 90 | 6.13 | 3.79 |
| Expected Assists per 90 | 0.11 | 0.07 |
| Key Passes per 90 | 1.31 | 0.77 |
| Interceptions per 90 | 0.66 | 0.46 |
| Tackles per 90 | 2.85 | 1.55 |
As HandofArsenal alluded to, Livramento appears to be the frontrunner to replace White in Arsenal’s squad. However, the Newcastle defender is much more in the mould of a Timber, with his defensive and carrying attributes standing out from his profile.
If the Gunners were to essentially swap White for Livramento, they may miss a more offensive right-back option in their squad. This is certainly food for thought for Arteta and Berta.
