Manchester City have been linked with Arsenal defender Ben White recently and the England international could be the ideal heir to Kyle Walker in Pep Guardiola‘s side.
According to CalcioMercato, the 25-year-old is on a two-man shortlist for City which also includes RB Leipzig sensation Josko Gvardiol, which suggests that the Etihad outfit are in the market for a new defensive addition.
However, the report claims that City will likely have to wait until the season has ended to do a deal for the former Brighton man, with the Gunners unlikely to sell to their closest title rivals during the current campaign, with a first title since 2003/04 on the cards for Mikel Arteta’s side.
White arrived at the Emirates as a centre-back but has been shifted to right-back so far this campaign in order to accommodate William Saliba, and he could perform a similar role effectively in Guardiola’s side.
The Spanish manager has shown a preference for one defensive-minded full-back and one extremely attacking one during his time at City, with Nathan Ake often featuring on the left as an auxiliary centre-back, which allows Joao Cancelo more freedom to go forward.
On the opposite flank, Walker has performed a similar role and with the former Tottenham Hotspur man set to turn 33 this year, it seems clear that a long-term solution is required.
Rico Lewis has featured heavily since the World Cup break at right-back but he appears to be more in the Cancelo mould as a more inverted proposition in order to get him involved with the midfield.
According to WhoScored, both White and Walker‘s main strengths include their concentration and their ability to hold onto the ball, which once again suggests that they could perform a similar role at the Etihad.
The former Leeds United loanee has certainly impressed so far this season, with WhoScored awarding him a strong 6.91 rating for his performances in the Premier League, which is better than all of City’s defensive options bar Cancelo.
It will certainly be tough to prise the 25-year-old away from the Emirates, considering Arteta considers him a “complete player” and they paid £50m to sign him just two years ago, but signing an heir to Walker should be a matter of priority for Guardiola.
Therefore, he should do all he can to convince the England star that he would benefit from a move to Manchester in the summer.
Source: footballfancast.com
