Ben White relishing Bukayo Saka link-up at Arsenal: ‘I was really surprised how good he is’

Bukayo Saka is Arsenal’s reigning player of the season
Arsenal FC via Getty Images
George Flood30 July 2021

New Arsenal signing Ben White is relishing the chance to compete alongside Bukayo Saka in north London.

White completed his long-awaited £50million transfer from Brighton to the Emirates on Friday, penning a five-year contract as Mikel Arteta’s third signing of the summer following the earlier arrivals of Nuno Tavares and Albert Sambi Lokonga.

The versatile 23-year-old is Arsenal’s third-most expensive capture of all-time, behind only record signing Nicolas Pepe and captain Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang.

There is one member of the Gunners squad that White is already very familiar with, having got a first-hand look at the qualities possessed by Bukayo Saka during England’s run to the final of the latest European Championship.

And asked during his first official Arsenal interview which member of Arteta’s squad he was most excited to be training with, new no4 White went with the club’s reigning player of the season, admitting he was shocked by just how good Saka already is aged just 19.

"So I had a bit with Bukayo over the summer," White told Arsenal’s official website. "I hadn't seen much of him before then and he really surprised me how talented he is.

"[I didn't train against him a lot] but some of the other boys did. He's so sharp and I was really surprised how good he is."

Arsenal FC via Getty Images

Despite a fine first season in the Premier League with Brighton, former Leeds loanee White was a surprise inclusion in England’s provisional 33-man squad for the delayed Euros and ended up as a late call-up to the final 26-man group after Liverpool right-back Trent Alexander-Arnold suffered a thigh injury in the warm-up win over Austria.

While Saka ended up playing a key role for Gareth Southgate’s side and unfortunately missed the decisive penalty in the heartbreaking final shootout defeat by Italy at Wembley, White did not add to the two opening senior caps he earned in those Middlesbrough warm-up matches during the tournament itself.

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