Man City plot audacious move for €70 million-rated Arsenal defender and other rumours

Manchester City are reportedly interested in Arsenal defender Ben White, with Pep Guardiola keen on the versatile defender.

White is steadily becoming one of the best defenders in the Premier League. He has risen through the ranks at various league levels in English football, ultimately leading to the big move to Arsenal.

Arsenal decided to pay the big bucks to acquire White and received plenty of criticism for spending so much on a player with little experience. But the English defender has proven his critics wrong after becoming a mainstay in the Arsenal backline. And he is currently one of Mikel Arteta’s most important players.

According to Fichajes, Pep Guardiola is interested in signing Ben White next summer. The Arsenal defender is considered a perfect fit for Manchester City’s system.

As per the report, the English defender’s versatility has caught Guardiola’s eye. And he might view the Arsenal defender, valued at around €70 million, as Kyle Walker’s long-term replacement.

Elsewhere, The Athletic also report that Chelsea hold the advantage over City in their bid to sign Declan Rice.

The West Ham star is one of the most sought-after midfielders in the Premier League, with Guardiola’s side reportedly registering an interest in the 23-year-old. However, it is thought that the London club have an edge over City in the race to sign Rice due to the England international’s time in Chelsea’s academy.

Rice was part of the youth set-up at Stamford Bridge between 2006 to 2014, before eventually being released by the club. With Guardiola reportedly keen on freshening up his midfield options in the summer, it seems he has a lot of work to do if he is to try and persuade Rice to move to the Etihad.