Three transfer options for Arsenal star after Mikel Arteta snub

Rusty Gorelick
  • 15 Mar 2026 18:17 GMT
  • 3 min read
Mikel Arteta, Arsenal, 2025/26
© IMAGO

Eyebrows were raised by Arsenal fans during the club’s 2-0 win over Everton when Mikel Arteta elected to substitute Cristhian Mosquera on instead of Ben White when Jurrien Timber got injured.

Article continues under the video

White missed a large portion of the 2024/25 season with a knee injury, and various ailments have kept him out for parts of 2025/26.

Although he returned from a knock a week ago, the lack of trust from Arteta indicates White’s time at the club may be up.

Current ETV
Player image Ben White
Ben White

D (R)

Arsenal logo

Arsenal

Ben White
Ben White

D (R)

Arsenal

Arsenal

€42M

ETV Range

€37.8M - €46.2M

Here are three transfer options for White ahead of the 2026 summer transfer window.

Bayern Munich

Harry Kane, Michael Olise, and Luis Diaz are all former Premier League players who have helped Bayern Munich reassert its dominance atop the Bundesliga after their run of 11 consecutive league titles.

White may make sense as the next player to join that list.

Ben White
© IMAGO - Ben White

The Englishman would likely be an upgrade on Konrad Laimer, and his signing would allow Josip Stanisic to move back to left-back.

Most importantly, White and Olise could form a partnership down the right side that resembles the years when White’s overlapping runs helped get the best out of Bukayo Saka at Arsenal.

Real Madrid

Los Blancos will need defensive depth with Dani Carvajal, David Alaba, and Antonio Rudiger’s contracts all set to expire at the end of the season.

Signing a player who can play both right-back and centre-back would help make up for those departures.

He would be another addition to the club’s small English contingent of Jude Bellingham and Trent Alexander-Arnold, and his style of play could be suited to La Liga.

Saudi Arabia

If White wants to maximize the rest of his career from a financial perspective, spending some time in Saudi Arabia is the way to go.

His interests outside of football have been well documented, and they are reportedly the source of tension between him and England’s national team. That means he may not want to play deep into his 30s.

At age 28 and having had injury struggles, chasing the cash could be the best course of action.

The FootballTransfers app

Check out FootballTransfers' new app for all of football's big storylines, transfer rumours and exclusive news in one convenient place directly on your mobile device.

The FootballTransfers app is available on Google Play and in the Apple App Store. Download here:

Google Play

App Store

Never miss the next big transfer!

Get the latest transfer insights and analyses directly in your mailbox.