Ben White’s future at Arsenal is now looking increasingly uncertain.
The defender has struggled with injuries for a while, and his recent dip in form has only made things worse. Mikel Arteta even chose to start Cristhian Mosquera, a natural centre-half, at right-back ahead of him recently.
That decision spoke volumes and suggested that White may no longer be part of the long-term plan at the Emirates Stadium.
Arsenal are already exploring options to replace him, and a familiar name has re-emerged – Sporting CP’s Ivan Fresneda.
What is an appropriate price for Arsenal to sell Ben White for?
Arsenal want to sign Ivan Fresneda to replace Ben White
Arsenal are once again showing interest in Fresneda, a player they have tracked for quite some time and were heavily linked with in the past.
Mikel Arteta was keen on signing Fresneda back in 2023 when he was still at Real Valladolid in La Liga.
The Spanish full-back eventually joined Sporting CP for a fee in the region of £8 million. Since then, he has continued to develop and attract attention from top clubs.
Now, The Sun claim that Arsenal are monitoring him closely again as they look to strengthen their full-back options this summer.
Fresneda is not the only name on their shortlist, with players like Tino Livramento and Oscar Mingueza also being considered. However, his profile fits what Mikel Arteta is looking for.
The 21-year-old has a release clause in his contract worth around €80 million (£69 million), but it is believed he could be available for less than that figure because he will enter the final two years of his contract in July.
It remains to be seen what will happen, but if Arsenal bring Fresneda in, or any other right-back, it would signal the end of Ben White’s Arsenal career.
Arsenal target Ivan Fresneda has suffered a season-ending injury
Fresneda would definitely be an exciting signing, but there is one major concern at the moment.
The Sporting CP defender recently suffered a muscular injury that is expected to keep him out for the rest of the season.
Muscle injuries can be particularly tricky, especially for full-backs who rely heavily on pace and constant movement up and down the pitch.
Arsenal know this all too well, given White’s own struggles with similar issues in the past.
That is why the Gunners will need to carefully assess Fresneda’s fitness before making any concrete move. Signing a player with ongoing injury concerns would be a massive risk.
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