Arsenal have edged one step closer to signing Ben White...

What's the word?

According to The Athletic's ever-reliable David Ornstein, the Gunners are on the verge of reaching an agreement with Brighton for the England centre-back following talks over a potential deal.

It's thought that the Seagulls want a guaranteed £50m and that the north London outfit are offering an initial £45m with the rest coming in add-ons.

There are yet to be any offers from other bidders and, with negotiations continuing, it seems that Arsenal are now in pole position to clinch the 23-year-old this summer.

Major coup

This latest development will surely leave the Emirates Stadium faithful absolutely buzzing as it signals their intent heading into the 2021/22 campaign.

Mikel Arteta's side agonisingly missed out on qualification to any of UEFA's three competitions for the first time since 1996 so they need to spark a reaction, and that can be done by bolstering the Spaniard's backline.

He has lost David Luiz, who leaves the club next week following the expiry of his contract, whilst Konstantinos Mavropanos has joined Stuttgart in a £5m deal, so there's certainly a spot or two available now.

White has enjoyed an impressive breakthrough season in the Premier League, where he rated among Graham Potter's best-performing central defensive options.

Only Lewis Dunk (89.4%) recorded a better passing accuracy than the former Leeds United loan star (83.2%), via WhoScored, whilst an average of 1.4 tackles, 1.7 interceptions and 1.4 aerial duels won per game shows that he's more than just a ball-playing defender.

Lauded as a "warrior" and a "special talent", White could slot right in at Arsenal next season, and he's also a signing that many supporters have been crying out for.

In reaction to this news, much of the Gunners' fanbase have been sent into a meltdown. As relayed by football.london, one supporter claimed the club was finally "showing ambition", whilst another urged Edu and co to make a move for James Maddison next.

It may be a small sample size but the general feeling in north London right now is very good. It's an exciting time to be an Arsenal fan.

AND in other news, Bye-bye Xhaka: Edu could land Arsenal their next Vieira in £49.5m-rated "huge talent"...