Ben White Could "Force" Anfield Switch If Liverpool Push Hard, Says Murphy

Ben White could potentially engineer a departure from Arsenal to join Liverpool in the January window, according to Danny Murphy, as Jurgen Klopp's side scramble for defensive reinforcements.

The England defender has slipped down Mikel Arteta's pecking order this season following the summer arrival of eight new players at the Emirates. White has managed just five Premier League starts and 13 appearances across all competitions, opening the door to a potential exit.

While Everton have reportedly registered interest, Murphy believes a Merseyside switch would be the more attractive proposition for the 27-year-old—particularly given Liverpool's plight following Conor Bradley's serious injury last week.

"Ben White to Liverpool would make sense but Arsenal might not want to sell to a rival," Murphy told BoyleSports. "It would depend on how adamant the player is that he wants to go. If Ben White was an option, I think that would be a good option for Liverpool."

The pundit was effusive about White's credentials, highlighting his versatility and experience. "I think he's a really good footballer, he's a big lad. Yes, he's had a couple of injury problems recently, but he's an experienced guy, he's played a lot of games and he can play centre-back and right-back."

Murphy also pointed to the sporting advantage Liverpool hold over their local rivals. "The obvious good thing for Liverpool would be in that negotiation, if that was something that was to materialise, would be that any player would rather go to Liverpool than Everton. Liverpool are competing for the Champions League, still in the top four, still in the FA Cup. Whereas Everton are obviously out of the FA Cup, they're not competing for European competitions."

He suggested that if the Reds came calling, White might push for the move. "I wouldn't see why if Liverpool were keen, then why he wouldn't try and force that move, having said that I'd find it strange to think that Arsenal would let him go. Or they might just think they're too far ahead of Liverpool anyway, so we'll have to see how that plays out."

Arsenal's stance, however, appears resolute. A report on Tuesday indicated the club have "zero interest in offloading the player this month" despite Everton's potential interest.

Arteta addressed his squad rotation strategy at a press conference on Tuesday, emphasising the balancing act required across the campaign. "We have to try to manage the squad and individuals in the best way. I think we are sharing the minutes while we remain very, very competitive and that's what we have to try to do and tomorrow we have another opportunity with players that will start and finish the game, and it will continue like this until May because there's going to be a game every three days."

The Arsenal boss also outlined his broader ambitions for the club. "From the position that we are in and the perception that we have as well internally and socially about where the club was, in every sense and bring it back to the very, very top in every level and win a lot of big trophies."