Many were sceptical when Arsenal chose to sign Ben White from Brighton for a huge fee, but he has now justified his price tag.
Arsenal had finished 8th in 2021, and were facing a season without European football for the first time in nearly 25 years.
Mikel Arteta was under heavy pressure, and his decisions in the transfer market were questioned at the time.
One key move was to spend £50m on Brighton defender White, who arrived as a young option with just one season of Premier League experience under his belt.
Three years later, and White has developed into one of the best right-backs in Europe, and no one even remotely questions his price tag. However, he had to work hard to prove his worth, but whilst many were sceptical of the signing, former Manchester City star Shaun Wright-Phillips was convinced from day one.
Shaun Wright-Philips old comments on Arsenal signing Ben White were correct
Arsenal signed White in the same summer that Manchester United signed Raphael Varane from Real Madrid, for a lower fee, and many were baffled that Arteta had spent more on an unproven player than United had on a Champions League and World Cup winner.
However, Wright-Phillips explained to talkSPORT at the time that White had the potential to improve, and predicted him to be the better signing.
“One thing I thought Arsenal missed was a defender like him, because he’s got old school mentality but he can play football as well,” he stated of White.
“Yes, I personally do,” he responded when asked if White would fare better than Varane.
“I know it’s a big statement but he’s used to the Premier League and he’s used to defending a lot for Brighton, week in, week out.
“Varane has come in to a whole new league and he’s going to be put under immense pressure.
“At this moment, I would definitely (prefer to sign) Ben White.”
Arsenal landed masterstroke in signing Ben White whilst Man Utd suffered Varane frustration
Although they moved for similar transfer fees, Varane was on a significantly higher wage at Old Trafford than White is even now at Arsenal after recently signing a new contract.
Varane has now left Man United on a free transfer, whilst White has just enjoyed his best season at Arsenal yet.
Many did not see the vision that Arteta and Wright-Phillips seemingly shared, but the signs were there that White would be a strong signing. He had excelled in a possession-dominant system under Marcelo Bielsa at Leeds, and in multiple positions for Brighton under Graham Potter.
White had an impeccable injury record at his previous clubs, and the same cannot be said about Varane at Real Madrid. United were signing a player beyond his best who could not stay fit at Old Trafford, whilst Arsenal landed a young star with the potential to improve.
Now, Arsenal will enjoy White as he enters his prime years as title challengers, with several smart signings of young talents paying off, whilst United have endured one of their worst Premier League seasons ever, and Varane may be the first of several players to depart as they try and fix the mess caused by their short-term transfer strategy in the past.