Arsenal’s £50m Ben White transfer could help Liverpool’s summer plans

Van Dijk nutmegs Gomez as Liverpool train in Austria

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Liverpool could benefit from Ben White’s move to Arsenal. The Brighton and Hove Albion central defender is expected to move to north London after the two clubs agreed to terms on a £50m deal.

White’s arrival is part of an attempted squad overhaul at Arsenal, as manager Mikel Arteta looks to build a squad capable of lifting the Gunners back to the top of English football.

Arsenal chiefs are believed to be willing to spend as much as £250million to secure their preferred targets.

And midfield options Albert Sambi Lokonga, Yves Bissouma and James Maddison and Norwich full-back Max Aarons are all reportedly of interest to Arsenal, in addition to White.

Those five players are all also under 25, fitting the preferred profile of the club’s transfer targets, as they prioritise players with growth and sell-on value.

But Arsenal’s transfer intent could also have a knock-on effect across the Premier League, with Liverpool one of the beneficiaries.

Liverpool have been looking to offload centre-back Nat Phillips this summer and are also intent on raising more funds to finance further transfer activity.

The transfer chiefs at Anfield are hopeful of adding more quality in central midfield this summer after the departure of Gigi Wijnaldum to Paris Saint-Germain. And the sale of Phillips could bring in some helpful funds.

White’s move to Arsenal means that Brighton are in the market for a centre-half, and the south-coast club are believed to be plotting a £15m move for Phillips, according to TalkSport journalist Alex Crook.

The move would appear to make sense for all parties, with Liverpool getting cash for a player they no longer need, Brighton bringing in replacement for White, and Phillips getting a move that should see his Premier League playing time significantly increase.

Phillips is deemed surplus to requirements after Jurgen Klopp’s side agreed a £36m deal for RB Leipzig’s Ibrahima Konate.

The 22-year-old French defender has been a revelation at Leipzig, showcasing a style of play reminiscent of Liverpool’s own Virgil van Dijk.

And Konate’s former Leipzig colleague Yvon Mvogo has no doubt that the defender will cut it at Anfield.

“Ibra Konate is just such a fantastic defender,” he said. “He had some injuries this year so he couldn’t show his full potential.

“He’s one of the best young defenders I have seen in my career and I just wish him all the best at Liverpool.

“I’m sure he will succeed there and show everyone what a great player he is.”
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