Report: Arsenal move closer to signing Brighton's White for around £50M

Arsenal are inching closer to reaching an agreement with Brighton & Hove Albion to sign Ben White, according to The Athletic's David Ornstein.

The 23-year-old center-back, who can also play in midfield, will reportedly cost the Gunners around £50 million. Brighton rebuffed Arsenal's initial approach but face-to-face talks between the two clubs are progressing well.

Arsenal don't anticipate any rival bids, as other interested parties have started to concede White is bound for north London.

Agreeing to personal terms with White shouldn't be an issue, so the only potential stumbling block appears to be the structure of the transfer fee. Brighton want to receive a guaranteed sum in the region of £50 million, while Arsenal would rather part with a package worth an initial £45 million, with another £5 million in add-ons.

Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta has prioritized a right-sided central defender in the transfer market. The club deemed White a good fit after deciding a move for Sevilla's Jules Kounde wasn't viable.

White's arrival would likely mean a third season out on loan for 20-year-old William Saliba. Rob Holding, Gabriel Magalhaes, Pablo Mari, and Calum Chambers are also on the club's books and can all play center-back, but David Luiz is leaving Arsenal following the expiration of his contract and Konstantinos Mavropanos has returned to Stuttgart on a season-long loan.

White is with England at Euro 2020 but has yet to appear in the tournament. He earned his first Three Lions cap in a 1-0 victory over Austria on June 2 and made his full debut four days later in a 1-0 defeat of Romania.