'You can't compare White with Varane!' - How Arsenal's £50m signing has silenced his critics

There were plenty of eyebrows raised when Arsenal signed Ben White from Brighton last summer.

It wasn’t so much that the Gunners had decided to bring the England international to the Emirates, but more the fact that they had agreed to spend £50 million ($67m) to do so.

White had only spent one year playing in the Premier League before Arsenal made him the second-most expensive English defender of all time, so many questioned the wisdom of such a significant outlay.

“It’s difficult for me to understand why Arsenal spent £50m on one player who is yet to prove himself at the top level,” former Gunners captain William Gallas said.

“And, at the same time, Manchester United can spend around £40m ($53m) on [Raphael] Varane, who won the World Cup and has four Champions League titles. You have to explain to me how it’s possible? 

“You can’t compare Ben White and Varane. I’m sorry, it’s not possible.

“And it’s not because he’s a fellow Frenchman that I’m talking like this. He comes from Real Madrid. He didn’t come from Brighton.”

Gallas was far from alone when it came to comparing the deals done for White and Varane last summer. Social media was swamped with jibes about what Arsenal had spent compared to United.

But at the Emirates, there were no doubts. The Gunners were convinced White was worth the money.

“Ben has been a key target this summer,” technical director Edu said when the deal was done. “We’re delighted Ben’s signed and we look forward to him growing with us.”

And White has certainly grown in the eight months since he arrived at the Emirates.

After a tough start to life in North London, which saw him singled out for criticism after the opening-day defeat at Brentford, he has shown exactly why Arsenal were so keen to lure him away from Brighton.

The 24-year-old has started more games in all competitions this season (27) than any of his team-mates.

He has firmly established himself as one of the first names on Arteta's team sheet and his partnership with Gabriel Maghales in the heart of the defence has played a key role in Arsenal’s bid for a Champions League spot.

“He’s improved a lot in a lot of things,” Arteta said last month. "I’m telling you, you watch him train every day and you’ll be amazed. I think he’s playing a final every day in training sessions. 

“That’s what we want from our players because when it comes to competing, that’s when you’re going to be ready.”

Getty/GOAL

White and Gabriel were paired together for the first time when Arsenal played host to Norwich City on September 11.

The Gunners went into that game bottom of the table, having lost their opening three league games while conceding nine goals in the process.

However, since then, they have kept 11 clean sheets in 21 games – only Manchester City and Liverpool have racked up more.

White’s form has been integral to that solidity and the way he brushed off the criticism he took following the defeat at Brentford also says a lot about his character.

“Ben has a big personality,” Arteta said. “And he has courage: to play, to make decisions, to step in front. 

“When he’s not feeling 100 per cent good, he still wants to train every day and he does it like the best. In the long run, that takes you to a nice place. 

“Ben is where he is today because of everything he’s done in the last few months. To achieve it is not a coincidence. It’s the work that he puts in every single day.”

A look at White’s statistics so far this season show just how important he is to Arteta’s young team.

Nobody in the Arsenal squad has clocked up more than the 2,378 minutes that he has played in all competitions.

Defensively, he ranks first for interceptions (1.4 per 90 minutes), second for headed clearances (2 per 90 minutes), second for aerial duel success (61.3%) and third for clearances (3.1 per 90 minutes).

However, White’s game is not just about defending his goal. In fact, one of the big reasons Arsenal were so keen on signing him was his ability to bring the ball out from the back.

He averages 54 passes per 90 minutes – only four players average more – and has a passing accuracy of 84.2%.

White is often seen driving out from the defensive line in a bid to break the opposition press and get Arsenal moving forward. It’s an important aspect of the way Arteta’s team plays.

"We bought Ben because we believe he can be extraordinary," Arsenal's manager admitted. "He has that ability to break lines and to progress the ball the way we want it.

"But, first of all, he needs to defend and I think he is doing that really, really well.”

There have of course been some errors, as you would expect from a relatively inexperienced centre-back playing in the English top flight.

But as we enter the final few months of White’s debut season at Arsenal, it’s tough to view his move as anything but an overwhelming success so far.

There may have been questions about the signing when he arrived, but those doubters have long been silenced.