Why Arsenal should sign a £50m star ‘Pires-like’

Gary Neville knew immediately what Ben White had done. He may not have been too kind to Arsenal’s defenders, but as he recalled on the post-match podcast, he had experience of a similar incident, which spared him a possible MCL injury.

Lo and behold, confirmation arrived on Tuesday that White did indeed suffer a medial collateral ligament injury. Facing West Ham winger Crisencio Somerville, he left his leg dangling and ended up paying the price.

The full-back has been ruled out for the rest of the season, missing out on a chance to win the title and also missing out on club football’s biggest competition, the Champions League final.

It is unlikely that he will play in the World Cup, but he is also likely to miss the global event in America. It’s a sad end to the season for one of the football club’s most respected players.

What does Ben White’s future hold at Arsenal?

When White first joined Arsenal from Brighton for £50 million, he did so amid a wave of criticism. £50 million was a gamble for a player who had only played one season of first-class football.

Indeed, when he was teased on his debut against Brentford in the Bees’ first ever Premier League game, it didn’t seem like something worth taking.

The English player played as a centre-back that day. That was his natural position at the time, but with the help of Mikel Arteta he has become one of the best right-backs in football.

For years, his partnership with Bukayo Saka on the right flank has been a joy to watch. There weren’t many better partnerships in the league.

However, the arrival of Julian Timber was a turning point. I didn’t know it at the time, but White would effectively run into the field during the 2023/24 season when the Timbers first arrived.

With Timber barely able to kick the ball due to a torn anterior cruciate ligament and Takehiro Tomiyasu regularly on the treatment table, White had to play through a wall of pain on his own.

That’s something he’s paid a price for in recent years. White’s consistency has declined, his availability has become less reliable, and the Timbers have surpassed him.

But in recent weeks he has rediscovered his best form. With his fellow right-back suffering an injury, Arsenal’s number four has slowly but surely worked his way back to the top of his game.

If Sunday afternoon turns out to be his last game in club colors, it will be a very sad end to his time at the Emirates Stadium. Indeed, the general consensus is that Arteta and co will listen to offers this summer. After all, the 28-year-old started just nine league games all season.

However, if he can perform as well as he has in recent weeks, Arsenal will have to fight to keep him. The same cannot be said about another player who has been with the club for a long time.

£40m Arsenal star must be sold before Ben White

Thinking back to the 2022/23 season, everything seemed rosy under Arteta. It was the first season when the project finally started moving.

Whyte and Saka forged that famous partnership and the forwards on display were among the best we’ve ever seen in this era.

In fact, Saka, Martin Odegaard and Gabriel Martinelli all tied for top scorer for the Gunners with 15 goals. However, with the exception of Saka, neither Odegaard nor Martinelli have been able to make a real splash.

Martinelli’s case is an interesting one. He was poached from Brazil as a teenager for £6 million, which proved to be a bargain. However, the forward has not lived up to the immense potential expected of him, given that manager Jurgen Klopp once described him as the “talent of the century” and Robert Pires described him as “similar”.

The winger is a regular in the Brazilian team and, to his credit, he is joint second in the team’s top scorers this term with Saka, who has 11 goals. But how many of those goals were meaningful?

Unfortunately, Martinelli has only scored one goal in the league this season, but he did score a crucial equalizer against Manchester City, which could be the difference between winning the title or not.

However, this lack of form in the league is emblematic of Arsenal’s problems with Martinelli this season. He has been active in Europe and in cup competitions in general. Still, he really struggled against the low blocks that Premier League sides deploy against Arteta’s side.

This is not a new problem either. It’s a question that has been plaguing the 24-year-old for some time. He scored eight goals in the top flight last season, but only two of them came in the last 13 games.

Martinelli has been out of form for most of 2025, and the same can be said for 2026. The fact that he has been left on the bench in important moments against Fulham, Atletico Madrid and West Ham in recent weeks says it all. In fact, the Brazilian did not feature in either of the last two league games.

Leandro Trossard, in comparison, stepped up when it mattered, providing an assist against the Cottages and scoring against West Ham. Admittedly, the Belgian has struggled to find his form this year, but he always shows up in the decisive moments.

Given his age, it wouldn’t be surprising if Trossard leaves this summer. Although he is now 31 years old and past his prime, Martinelli is worth selling. It was claimed last month that the Gunners could earn a transfer fee of £50m if they sell him.

It certainly seems worth it, especially if Arsenal can put money into signing a winger with more consistency and quality.

Martinelli has dazzled at times in Arsenal colors, but the truth is we just haven’t seen it on a regular basis. I feel like it’s finally time to sell.