Martin Keown is happy that Arsenal has completed the signing of Ben White in this transfer window and he claims the Englishman is a “proper player.”
The Euro 2020 finalist was Arsenal’s main summer transfer target after his impressive performance for Brighton last season.
He has been in fine form over the last two years, having spent the 2019/2020 season on loan at Leeds United.
He was one of their best players as they gained promotion back to the Premier League.
They tried to sign him last summer but failed and their loss has become Arsenal’s gain.
The Gunners are confident that White will make them one of the toughest teams to score against and ex-Gunner, Keown, agrees with that assessment.
Keown praised the defender in a recent interview and spoke about his ability to make interceptions as well as to read the game well.
He then adds that Arsenal is giving him the platform to show the world that he can do it at a top club.
Keown said to Sun Sports: “Ben looks a really good signing and the real deal — a proper player.
“He was high on interceptions — joint fifth — in the Premier League last season, reads the game really well, is intelligent and can pass the ball.
“He is a young player but he has got to make those qualities spread across the group quickly.
“Arsenal have had a succession of young central defenders but I think he’s the real deal.
“He can play in a three or a back four. Now is the platform for him to prove how good he is.
“He will need a lot of support and help because it’s about the team structure defensively and not just one player.
“And he will need a partner to play alongside. Is it Rob Holding, Gabriel or Pablo Mari?
“But you are looking at Ben to go in there, lead immediately and not be frightened of that.”
Good to hear this coming straight out of a proper defenders mouth ,so should know what he’s talking about .
Now bloody sort out our midfield ,the one position we should have sorted first .
Yep, I think Keown might just know what he’s talking about.
Said on here last night when some were bigging up Varane’s “C.V.” I personally have high hopes of B W going on to have a great career at our place, he has all the attributes – seems like Keown may just agree !
As for M A’s words – late night on the 31st waiting for prices to drop.
not some, just ME…remember when your weak attempt to make some comparison between Giroud, who was only the presumptive national team starter when Benzema was left out of the mix, due to some off-field issues, and Varane, who was the clearly the centerpiece figure in their backline, fell on deaf ears, minus a singular shoutout from someone who would defend Wenger’s selection choices irrespective of what the prevailing logic might overwhelmingly suggest
or was it your even weaker rebuttal, when I stated that, AT THIS JUNCTURE, it made no sense to compare White with Varane, considering their respective histories, in that one of the two, Varane, had won just about everything under the footballing sun, whereas the other player had excelled in one Championship season with Leeds, then rose to the level of 3rd best defender on Brighton, if you don’t include Bissouma, and who likewise was only named to the national squad as a result of a last minute injury to TAA, but that I had hoped that White would eventually rise to that level in the not too distant future…looks like someone got caught “bigging up” AJ’s CV
“looks like someone got caught “bigging up” AJ’s CV ?????
Puerile at best.
TRVL
QUOTE from your post of last night ;
“at this exact moment in time,”
how does that morph overnight to become ;
“when I stated that AT THIS JUNCTURE,”. ?
And was Giroud a World Cup winner – a simple yes or no ?
My point being does that make him anymore or less of a player TODAY ?
Your as good as your last game, not your C.V.
Still we agree to disagree, I’ll just go with Keown and Arsenal fans that can actually see B W was brought in for a number of reasons which M A is trying to address.
IMHO, a really solid buy for many years ahead and part of what the club would argue is part of the jigsaw going forward – shame he’s not a World Cup winner.
mincing words regarding “this exact” vs. “at this juncture”…btw all sorts of average players have held major cups over the years, a category in which Grioud has found himself far more often than his French defensive counterpart…finally, when you’re done cherry-picking those tidbits that best fit your particular narrative, please read the part where I said that I hope he’s in the conversation at some point soon, as my beef over this signing was twofold, but never about him lacking talent…my concerns were based on paying over the number and not addressing our most pressing needs first…in the end, I hope he becomes the best defender that has ever donned the kit