Arsenal needed Brighton captain Lewis Dunk more than Ben White, according to former Tottenham manager Tim Sherwood.
The Gunners splashed out £50million to recruit White from the Seagulls in the summer, and the 23-year-old has endured a testing start to his career in north London so far.
White struggled in the opening day defeat at Brentford and then missed Arsenal’s defeats against Chelsea and Manchester City after contracting Covid-19.
The England international has, however, helped Mikel Arteta’s side keep consecutive clean sheets in recent victories over Norwich and Burnley, forming a solid partnership with Gabriel.
But tougher tests are on the horizon, with Nuno Espirito Santo’s Tottenham next up for the Gunners at the Emirates on Sunday.
And Sherwood feels that Arsenal should’ve made a move for White’s former Brighton team-mate Dunk, 29, instead, as the north London side are ‘weak’ and needed a defender who attacks the ball with authority.
‘Everyone who partners Lewis Dunk, seems to get a move,’ Sherwood told Optus Sport. ‘For what Arsenal actually require, it was Dunk and not Ben White if I’m honest.
‘He’s always missed out. There are too many scalps looking at what he can’t do instead of what he can do. It’s great for Brighton that he’s still there.
‘He puts his body on the line, and really cares. Arsenal are weak, they don’t attack the first ball – Dunk does that. But they chose to go for White.’
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