Arsenal identify Ben White replacement - and it hints at Arteta’s next move

Robin Bairner

23 Mar 2026 08:17 GMT
4 min read

Wesley, Arsenal, Roma, 2025/26 — © IMAGO

With Ben White set to leave Arsenal this summer, Mikel Arteta has already moved to identify a replacement - and the choice reveals plenty about the manager’s vision for next season.

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Arsenal have sanctioned the sale of White in the summer as they seek to freshen up their defensive options.

The Gunners have agreed that they will sell the 28-year-old, who has fallen behind Jurrien Timber in the pecking order at the Emirates - and Arteta already has the England star’s replacement in mind.

Current ETV

Ben White

D (R)

Arsenal

Ben White

D (R)

Arsenal

ETV Range

€37.8M - €46.2M

Arsenal target Wesley

Roma’s Wesley is being studied as a serious contender to replace White at Arsenal, with the 22-year-old boasting an estimated transfer value of €28.5m.

Securing him is likely to involve a significantly higher fee given that there is also interest from Manchester City.

Other options for Arsenal include Newcastle’s Tino Livramento, with this exclusively revealed by FootballTransfers, Eintracht Frankfurt's Nnamdi Collins and Monaco's Vanderson.

How Wesley will change Arsenal

Wesley is seen as the leading candidate for Arsenal thanks to his athleticism, defensive diligence and his attacking capabilities.

Indeed, it is this additional quality going forward that would be the major point of difference between Wesley, White and even Timber. It suggests that Arteta is looking at a more dynamic source of competition for the Dutchman, who has three goals and eight assists this season.

Athletically, Wesley is a step up from White. He is quicker and has greater stamina, but is less physically imposing in terms of his height and strength.

© SciSports - Wesley's statistical performance compared to Timber and White

In terms of his output, Wesley is a far more attacking option. In terms of crosses, carries and overlapping runs, he is far more active than either White or Timber, while his counter interceptions in the opponents half also speak of a player who is used to being deployed high up the field.

He is, after all, a full-back forged in the Brazilian school of attacking football.

Arteta to make Gunners U-turn?

Arteta’s success at Arsenal has come from being increasingly conservative, so it would mark a significant change of direction if he were to move for a player with the profile of Wesley.

This would suggest that the Gunners would be seeking to play in a more expansive attacking style next term, with the full-backs far more involved in the final third of the park.

In turn, it would come as something of a surprise if the Arsenal manager were to seek to change this aspect of his side.

While the North Londoners have been criticised by rival fans for being ‘boring’, the Gunners are revelling in their ability to grind out results – a skill that has brought them to the cusp of a first Premier League title in more than 20 years.

Casting this aside in the summer would be a bold move, but Arteta has confounded critics before, and a move to sign Wesley would simply be another such jink from Arsenal’s Spanish boss.

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