Ben White: Leeds could take advantage of Arsenal fire sale to reunite with former star

Ben White is expected to be on the transfer list at Arsenal this summer, and Leeds United could well take advantage.

The defender enjoys cult hero status among much of Elland Road, after his brilliant 2019-20 loan move from Brighton, which saw the Whites win the Championship.

Marcelo Bielsa hoped to make the deal permanent in the summer of 2020, but the Seagulls raised the price and made the Englishman a fixture in their Premier League team.

At the end of the 2020-21 season, Arsenal signed White for £50million, with 181 appearances following in the years since.

However, Leeds transfer chiefs will be keeping a close eye on this summer, with the 28-year-old's future at the Emirates Stadium reportedly being considered.

Interest mounting in Ben White as Arsenal exit looms

Football Insider exclusively revealed last month that Arsenal are ready to sell White and Gabriel Jesus this summer.

Both players have struggled significantly with injuries over the last two years, although the defender has looked back towards his best at times this season.

The 28-year-old was even called up for England by Thomas Tuchel and appeared in both games, scoring his first international goal when he poked home against Uruguay.

But Arsenal appear ready to move away from White, with younger alternatives such as Tino Livramento reportedly under consideration.

Leeds fans share an interesting relationship with their former defender. Many were left heartbroken when their team could not agree a deal to see him return to Elland Road.

White kept his head down and enjoyed well-wishes from fans of his former club when he secured the move that many of them suspected he ultimately would.

But that sentiment started to change when the defender returned to Elland Road and celebrated Arsenal's win with a caption that read, "three points wallop".

He later celebrated after scoring against them in the 2022-23 season and has received boos from certain fans on his returns since.

Should Leeds be given a chance to reunite with White, however, they may well put all of those past grievances behind them.

Marcelo Bielsa shares Ben White reunion

Legendary Leeds manager Bielsa undoubtedly played a key role in the making of the player White is today.

The defender had come off the back of a season in which he'd made 15 League One appearances when the Argentine signed him.

Under Bielsa, he exploded, appearing in every single minute of the Championship season that saw Leeds win the league.

The two were reunited last week, when Bielsa's Uruguay took on England at Wembley Stadium.

"I simply said hello to him," said the 70-year-old when asked about their interaction. "Obviously I have known him for a very long time.

"I was just very happy to see him and happy to see how he has developed in his career so I simply just saw him as I was sitting there and it was an opportunity to see him and say hello."