Benjamin Kristian Arthur was born on 9 October 2005 in England. He came through Peterborough United's academy, where he grew into a tall, composed centre-back after earlier experience in midfield, a background that helped shape his comfort in possession. With Peterborough's youth sides he stood out in an under-18 group that won cup competitions, and his progress brought recognition from England at youth level before he left the club.
Brentford signed Arthur for the B team in the summer of 2023 on a three-year deal. His first phase in west London was about physical and tactical development rather than instant first-team football. During the 2024-25 campaign he became one of the B team's most reliable players, recording strong defensive-duel and aerial-duel numbers, scoring from set pieces and helping the side reach multiple finals. He was named the Under-21s Player of the Year after a season that pushed him closer to the senior environment.
At Brentford he has been promoted into the first-team picture while still being managed as a long-term defender. He made his first-team debut in the Carabao Cup against Aston Villa in September 2025 and later appeared in further cup matches. A loan to Celtic in February 2026 gave him a chance to test himself in senior football away from west London, but his registration here is held as Brentford. As a young centre-back, his history should be updated once his senior league sample becomes larger.
Internationally, Arthur has represented England at youth level. He was called into the England Under-18 squad for the International Tournament of Lisbon in 2023, playing against Norway, Portugal and Australia, and later appeared with England Under-19s. Those call-ups underline that his development has been tracked beyond club level even though he has not yet entered the senior international conversation.
Arthur is a right-footed centre-back with a broad frame, good aerial tools and the ability to pass out from the back. He has spoken openly about modelling parts of his game on Virgil van Dijk, especially the composure and authority associated with elite modern defenders. At this stage the comparison is a learning reference, not a claim of equivalence. Brentford's task is to turn his size, calmness and set-piece threat into week-to-week senior reliability.