'You could see': Martin Keown says Arsenal have a £50m defender who could play in midfield
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If there's one thing Mikel Arteta values in a player, it's versatility.
Jurrien Timber is capable of playing all across the backline, Riccardo Calafiori can play at left-back and centre-back, Gabriel Jesus can play in multiple attacking positions, while Kai Havertz can seemingly play almost anywhere.
Indeed, Havertz has even played at left-back before for Germany.
Ben White is another very versatile player in this Arsenal team.
The England international came into Arsenal after starring at centre-back for both Brighton and Leeds, but under Arteta, he has become one of the best right-backs in England.
Speaking on the Arsecast, Martin Keown has been discussing how versatile this Arsenal defence is, and he's claimed that Ben White could easily play in midfield for six months in the same way Keown did years ago.
Ben White could play in midfield
Keown claimed that it's easy to see White playing in that midfield role.
The pundit claimed that every single defender at Arsenal is very fluid, and he believes the £50m man could play in the midfield.
"It’s interesting because now there’s a flexibility to the defenders, which is more in keeping of my style. So, Calafiori, Timber can play centre half, full back. They’re kind of in that mold, I suppose, of what I was," Keown said.
"I even played centre midfield for six months. Whether you can argue whether I should have done or not, but I was playing in centre midfield. You could see Ben White do that."
"Every one of them, that’s the modern day game. I would say less centre half type, but the two centre halves, they’re titans, aren’t they? And I think essentially what we’ve got now is like, we’ve got a group of fighters again, and we’re in the fight."
White's record in midfield
Interestingly, White has played in midfield before.
Indeed, during his time at Leeds, he would semi-regularly play in midfield to cover for injuries and suspensions as Marcelo Bielsa wanted to keep a small squad.
Bielsa actually said that White could make a good midfielder.
"If he plays 10 or 15 matches in this position he will have impact in the same way he does at centre-back," Bielsa said.
"For one centre-back it is a very good opportunity to play as a possession midfielder, and it is necessary."
White also played in midfield on a few occasions for Brighton, but his results while playing in that position don't make for great reading.
| Ben White’s record in midfield | |
| Games | 12 |
| Wins | 4 |
| Draws | 3 |
| Losses | 5 |
White is very rarely on the winning side when he does have to drop into midfield, and while that isn't necessarily all his fault, it is an indicator that this perhaps wouldn't be the smartest move.
With Jorginho, Thomas Partey, Declan Rice and Mikel Merino all in at Arsenal as options, it would be a surprise if White was ever needed in the midfield.
