Arteta’s most expensive defender in history looks complete at Arsenal

“We win games with offense and win titles with defense.”this is one of the most famous lines in the history of English football and is the very mantra that Mikel Arteta has used ever since he arrived at Arsenal.

If there are naysayers out there who believe Sir Alex Ferguson’s comments were a coincidence, his 13 Premier League wins should allay any doubts. That comment still rings true, even more so than it has in recent years when Arsenal are well on their way to winning the crown.

The days of Anfield’s abuse and humiliation at the hands of Manchester City are long gone in north London. Instead, we are entering an era in which historic achievements may take center stage by the end of the current campaign. But how has Arteta changed Arsenal’s backline?

How Arteta turned Arsenal’s weakness into their biggest strength

When Arteta arrived at Arsenal in December 2019, he looked around the team and saw it was slowly falling into rubble. Since the Invincibles, things have been dire for the Gunners. Even Champions League football seemed beyond the realm of possibility.

The man holding up the captain’s armband was Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, who three years later forced his way to Barcelona under intense scrutiny. The centre-back was, on paper, an experienced World Cup winner and Champions League winner. On the grass, it was David Luiz and Shkodran Mustafi, an aging and error-prone pair.

From there, it seemed impossible that Arsenal would one day become arguably the best team in Europe, thanks largely to their defensive fundamentals.

As soon as Gabriel Magalhães and William Saliba formed a partnership, Arsenal reached the level they had longed for. They have transformed as a duo.

But it’s no wonder the Gunners are currently leading the Premier League title race with Julian Timber and co. As well as the centre-back pairing, the right-back has been the best in his position all season, putting Arsenal’s competition behind them so far.

Arsenal’s most expensive defender appears to be complete

However, the Dutchman’s form does not affect Arteta’s other defender as well. While Timber has grown, Ben White has fallen down the ranks.

In many ways, White’s absence through injury when he replaced the shattered Timber in Arsenal’s last game against Tottenham Hotspur is emblematic of his Arsenal career.

He was replaced by Cristian Mosquera, but his performance created another problem for White entirely. Indeed, the Spaniard showed great power from the moment he entered the game, winning all five of his matches, especially in duels, and losing the ball just three times in his 18 touches. He sealed the match brilliantly.

As a result, there’s a good chance he won’t even be a second-choice right-back at the Emirates even if he returns from injury.

In fact, the 28-year-old’s game time has decreased each season, and he has yet to break the 1,000-minute mark this season.

It’s incredibly disappointing to see this statistic considering he originally joined from Brighton & Hove Albion in 2021 for a reported £50m, becoming Arteta’s most expensive defender in the process.

His versatility is useful, but Arsenal have plenty of cover in White’s position. For his own sake, and theirs, the Gunners should sell the former Brighton man this summer and finally acquire one of their players for some cash.

While Arsenal deserve the recognition they receive for signing players, there is no denying that they need to do a better job when it comes to profiting from their players.

There are already rumors that Everton are interested in White ahead of the summer transfer window, and if that interest leads to an offer, Andrea Berta is likely to pull the trigger.

Whether it’s because of injuries, Timber’s form or the emergence of Mosquera, white is over at Arsenal.