Everton are likely to be disappointed should they pursue a transfer move for Ben White this January, with Arsenal reportedly determined to block the defender’s exit.

White cemented his place as an integral and trusted member of Mikel Arteta’s starting XI after completing a £50million move from Brighton in July 2021, making 134 appearances in his first three years with the Gunners.

But White has dropped down the pecking order after missing a total of 27 games through injury last season, with Jurrien Timber continuing to go from strength to strength to nail down the right-back spot.

Though White also provides cover at the heart of Arteta’s defence, William Saliba and Gabriel Magalhaes are widely regarded to be among the finest centre-back partnerships in European football – and are deemed undroppable when fit.

To add to that, Cristhian Mosquera and Piero Hincapie have both enjoyed excellent starts since arriving at Arsenal last summer, further complicating White’s path to regular first-team minutes.

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