Arsenal have agreed a £50m deal with Brighton and a five-year-deal with Ben White, so what shirt number is the defender likely to get when he arrives at Arsenal?

Ben White 3 gestures and reacts at the Premier League match between Brighton and Hove Albion and Leeds United at the American Express Community Stadium, Brighton and Hove, England on 1 May 2021. Brighton and Hove American Express Community Stadium East Sussex England Copyright: Malcolm Bryce
Ben White 3 gestures and reacts at the Premier League match between Brighton and Hove Albion and Leeds United at the American Express Community Stadium, Brighton and Hove, England on 1 May 2021. Brighton and Hove American Express Community Stadium East Sussex England Copyright: Malcolm Bryce

Ben White is set to undergo an Arsenal medical when he returns from his post-Euros holiday.

The 23-year-old has agreed a five-year deal and, after seeing bids of £40m and £42m rejected, Arsenal have had a £50m bid accepted by Brighton and you’ll be able to use Betting.net to find the best odds on White’s performances in his new Arsenal shirt, but what number will be on the back of that?

White currently wears the number 3 at Brighton, a full-back’s number that currently adorns the back of Kieran Tierney at Arsenal. White has worn that for the past two seasons after returning from loan with Leeds United where he wore the 5.

Before that, White wore a range of shirts and has, at one time or another, sported the number 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 14, 15, 16, 28, 43 and 44 on his back.

A centreback’s number should, ideally, be a 5 or 6 but at Arsenal the 5 has just been given to Thomas Partey. The 6 is on the back of Gabriel.

Within the first team squad, 4, 8, and 11 are free, while you would expect 8 to go to the new midfielder Arsenal are trying to sign.

It is likely, then, that White will get the number 4 shirt at Arsenal, even though that’s more a midfielder’s number. It’s hard to imagine him moving outside the first 11 squad numbers when the 4 is on offer.

4 had been given to William Saliba, but he’s been shipped off on loan again. Per Mertesacker, meanwhile, wore the 4 during his playing days with the club, as did Martin Keown.