Shaun Wright-Phillips backs Chelsea to sign £50m Arsenal star in shock transfer

Shaun Wright-Phillips has tipped Arsenal defender Ben White for a shock move to Premier League rivals Chelsea.

White was a key player for Arsenal during his first three seasons at the Emirates Stadium following his £50m move from Brighton in 2021.

The versatile defender played at least 32 Premier League games in each of those seasons before struggling with injury issues last term.

White has found it hard to break back into Mikel Arteta’s team, with Jurrien Timber impressing in the right-back position and William Saliba and Gabriel forming a brilliant centre-back partnership.

As a result the 28-year-old has started just four games this season and made only one Premier League appearance – which came on the opening day against Manchester United.

Wright-Phillips says White was ‘unbelievable’ before his injury and ‘feels quite sorry’ for the former Brighton star given his lack of minutes at Arsenal.

A January move looks unlikely as Arteta will not want to weaken a squad bidding to win the Premier League, but Wright-Phillips says a move to Chelsea next summer would ‘make sense’.

‘I could see a move for Ben White to Chelsea take place next summer,’ Wright-Phillips told Best Betting Sites. ‘It makes sense, it’s possible.

‘I feel quite sorry for Ben because he had an injury, and he was playing so well for Arsenal. He was unbelievable.

‘Then he came back and he’d lost his place to Jurrien Timber, who’s the best right-back in the Premier League. It’s going to take something special to unseat him now.

‘I don’t think Arsenal would be willing to sell him in the winter window though, because that squad depth is one of Arsenal’s biggest advantages.

‘If Timber is injured, White is the man to come in. So selling him would force Arsenal back in the market and I don’t think that’s something they would want to do while they are challenging for the title, and maybe the Champions League.’

In an exclusive interview with Metro, Arsenal hero Alan Smith recently suggested White and other fringe players could be forced out by the club’s impressive strength in depth.

‘When you’ve got such a strong squad, you will have players who aren’t getting regular games,’ Smith said.

‘Some of them will be thinking, “maybe it’s time for a move”, you don’t want to lose them but it’s hard to keep them all happy.

‘It all depends on Ben and how he feels about the situation. He might be thinking he wants to get his fair share of games somewhere but he’s also at a club that’s going places.

‘We’ll have to wait and see on that one, it’s obviously down to the individuals, but Jurrien Timber is getting the nod at the moment.

‘Ben White’s had his injury concerns, but he did have a really good relationship with Bukayo Saka, which maybe Timber hasn’t quite developed just yet.’

While Wright-Phillips has talked up a Chelsea move for White, he named Newcastle United defender Malick Thiaw as his dream transfer target.

Germany international Thiaw has impressed for the Magpies since his £34m move from AC Milan last summer.

‘It would be almost impossible, but if I could have anyone now, it would be Malick Thiaw from Newcastle,’ Wright-Phillips added.

‘I know he only joined from Milan in the summer, but if anyone has been watching him since his arrival, they’d know he hasn’t had a bad game yet.

‘He does everything right. He reads the game well. When low crosses come into the box, he always seems to be in the right position.

‘I hadn’t heard too much about him before he arrived, but since he’s arrived, he’s established himself as one of the first names on the teamsheet for Eddie Howe.

‘Obviously it’s a bit cruel of me to say Chelsea need to go and buy him already, but in terms of his ability, he’s exactly what that backline needs.

‘I know they need experienced defenders too, but the thing about him is that he already plays as if he’s got that experience.’

White will hope to get some much-needed Premier League minutes on Sunday when Arsenal face Chelsea in a huge London derby.

The Gunners travel to Stamford Bridge with a six-point lead at the top of the table but aware that Chelsea will cut that cushion to just three if they return to north London empty-handed.

Before that, Arsenal take on German champions Bayern Munich in the Champions League on Wednesday night.

Chelsea were also in European action this week, thumping ten-man Barcelona 3-0 to boost their hopes of automatic qualification to the knockout stages.

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