Brighton's Ben White pleased with Arsenal transfer rumors: It's nice

Ben White has conceded that speculations connecting him with a move to Arsenal are "great," but the Brighton center-back insists that he does not discuss his intentions with his teammates. 

The 23-year-old has emerged as a top target for

Arsenal

following a strong 2020-21 season at Brighton, where he established himself as one of

Graham Potter

's most significant players.

According to Goal, the two clubs are close to finalizing a £50 million ($69 million) deal after the Gunners' first bid of £40 million ($56 million) for White was denied, and the defender has admitted that he is pleased by their interest. 

"It's nice, it's happened quite a lot over the last two years, there's been a lot of noise," The Brighton star told 

.

Nevertheless, when quizzed if he speaks with his colleagues in the Brighton team or England camp about the possible Arsenal move, White replied:

"Not really.

"You don't know what's true and what's not. So there's no real point talking about it."

After returning from a season on loan at Leeds United this summer, White signed a new four-year contract with the Seagulls, where he originally broke into the first squad in 2016. 

The center-back, who has also been loaned out to Newport County and Peterborough, appeared in 36 of the Seagulls' 38 Premier League matches in 2020-21, aiding them to avert relegation by a comfortable margin.

White was called up to

Gareth Southgate

's England team and reached the final list for the

 when Liverpool's

Trent Alexander-Arnold

was injured, but he is still waiting for his first minutes in the competition ahead of a round of 16 matches against Germany. 

White began his professional career at Southampton, but after being dismissed from their program at the age of 16, he was signed by Brighton. 

The England player said he had to be psychologically tough to overcome the rejection and show himself at the Amex, where he believed his abilities were immediately recognized.

"When I was at Southampton I didn't have any confidence," he admitted. "The way I play now is with a lot of confidence. It's the complete opposite of what I used to be.

"I think coming through Brighton, the coaches and the people really believed in me. I think you get that with playing and at Southampton I was on the sidelines a lot. But I went to Brighton and went straight into the team and played.

"It's tough when you get released and you're not wanted. Especially when you're young, it's hard to deal with. You either sink or swim, but for me I obviously wanted it a lot and it was the only thing I wanted at the time so I went for it."

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