Arsenal are planning a “new round of talks” with Ben White about signing a new contract, according to journalist Fabrizio Romano.

The 25-year-old still has just under 3 years left on the current deal but Romano says the Gunners want to reward the defender with a pay rise:

🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿 New round of talks will take place soon for Ben White to discuss new contract at Arsenal, as called on Sunday. Positive feeling as it’s advancing.

White wants to stay, Arsenal are not under pressure but want to reward Ben with new long term deal and also improved salary. pic.twitter.com/7oFTBbBRKH

— Fabrizio Romano (@FabrizioRomano) October 3, 2023

White has been in good form this campaign, carrying on from where he left off last year when he was a key player in Arsenal‘s title challenge.

Manager Mikel Arteta has subsequently started the defender in every single match so far this season, demonstrating his importance to the team.

White’s versatility has made him a key asset for Arsenal

The England international was signed from Brighton ostensibly as a centre-half, but the emergence of William Saliba forced him to adapt to a new role on the right-hand side of defence.

Luckily for White, he possesses the mobility and the ball skills to be a very capable fullback. As we saw at the start of this campaign too, he is still able to cover in central areas if required.

Timber’s arrival did raise doubts about White’s future

The Gunners’ decision to sign Jurrien Timber from Ajax did leave some supporters speculating that White’s position in the first team was in danger.

However, the summer signing was used as a left-back prior to picking up a serious knee injury. The fact that White has started every game seems to suggest that Arteta never intended to replace him anyway.