Danny Murphy thinks Arteta could start 25-year-old in midfield for Arsenal next season.
Danny Murphy has suggested that he could see Ben White doing well in the Arsenal midfield next season after hearing the 25-year-old mentioned as a potential contender to push forward.
Murphy was speaking on the FIVE YouTube channel and suggested that the England international is actually a lot better than many realise.
Ben White is potentially one of the Arsenal players with a question mark hanging over his role in the side next season. Of course, White was a revelation at right-back for Mikel Arteta’s side last season.
But, as reported by the Daily Mirror, Arsenal are closing in on a move for Jurrien Timber. And like White, Timber can play as a right-back or centre-back. So there appears to be few guarantees that White will keep his starting spot next year.
Murphy backs White to do well in Arsenal midfield
That prompted Alex Crook to suggest on talkSPORT that he could see Arteta pushing White into midfield – much like Pep Guardiola has with John Stones at Manchester City.
Clearly, Murphy was initially taken aback by the suggestion. However, he claimed that he could definitely see it working.
“This is madness. It was a journalist, he was saying that Ben White might be used more holding,” he told FIVE.
“It makes sense. If Timber’s coming in, and can play right-back, and the options are there, I think Ben White’s better than you think. I think he could do that.”
White is not actually a complete stranger to the role. While on loan with Leeds a few years ago, he was used in holding midfield by Marcelo Bielsa on a couple of occasions when Kalvin Phillips was unavailable.
And of course, few would have expected that he would prove to be so impressive at right-back. But he took to the role so seamlessly last season. So it is hard to rule anything out at this stage.
In fairness, Arsenal are back in the Champions League. So they are going to need their options at the heart of the defence. So White may well get plenty of chances in his preferred role.
But his versatility is unquestionably going to help him as Arsenal look to kick on next season.