Everything is looking rather rosey in the red half of North London at the moment.
Arsenal are on a seven-game winning streak in the Premier League, and aside from that slight blip in the Champions League, they look like one of the best teams in Europe.
Mikel Arteta has got his side firing on all cylinders at the right time of the campaign, and based on their dismantling of Sheffield United on Monday night, there's every chance they could be champions come May.
It was the sort of game in which it's impossible to pick a stand-out player, but one of the many brilliant performers was Ben White, and while his place in the team is secure for now, Hale End could be about to produce a youngster who could be the Englishman's heir.
Ben White's Arsenal career in numbers
White signed for Arsenal from Brighton & Hove Albion in July 2021 for a fee of £50m, and while that looks value for money today, it wasn't perceived as such at the time, with former Arsenal player William Gallas saying, "It's difficult for me to understand why Arsenal spent £50million on one player who is yet to prove himself at the top level."
In his first season in red and white, the former Seagulls ace made 37 appearances for Arteta, although at the time, he was viewed as a centre-back who could sometimes fill in at right-back, so 34 of those 37 appearances came at centre-back.
Positions
Centre-Back
Right-Back
Appearances
39
73
Goals
0
4
Assists
0
7
Goal Involvements per Match
0
0.15
The following summer saw the introduction of William Saliba into the side, and while there was a concern among some fans that it would spell the end for White, he simply moved to right-back and hasn't looked back since.
The 6 foot 1 "warrior", as dubbed by talent scout Jacek Kulig, has since made 73 appearances as a full-back for the Gunners, in which he has scored four goals and provided seven assists.
In all, he has made his naysayers look rather foolish and become an integral part of a team that seems destined to win silverware, so it's pretty lucky that Arsenal may have the next White on their hands already.
The Hale End gem that could go on to replicate White's success in a few years is 19-year-old Reuell Walters.
Why fans should be excited about Reuell Walters
The Lambeth-born gem had an interesting journey in youth football before joining Arsenal in 2020. He spent several years at Tottenham Hotspur before a failed move to Manchester United left him without a club for 18 months.
Since joining the club, he has made 49 appearances for the U21s, 20 appearances for the U18s and five appearances for the UEFA Youth League side, but most interestingly, he has primarily played at centre-back and right-back – sound familiar?
It is this proficiency in both positions that led data analyst Ben Mattinson to claim that the youngster is "perfect for the RB/RCB role that White plays" and that he "looks like White at RB."
Position
Appearances
Centre-Back
31
Right-Back
29
Right Midfield
4
Left-Back
1
However, it's not just his positional versatility that should excite fans, as Mattinson also described the academy gem as "a ball-carrying monster", which, based on the way White has been getting increasingly involved in attacking phases of play recently, can only help.
Finally, the "physically gifted" teen, as dubbed by Mattinson, has clearly caught the eye of Arteta, as the Spaniard has named him on the bench 20 times over the last two seasons, meaning it must be a matter of when and not if he finally gets his debut.
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Ultimately, White has proven to be a brilliant signing for Arsenal, and while he won't be losing his place in the team anytime soon, Arteta must be reassured to see a potential long-term replacement coming up through the ranks.