Leeds United have potentially been dealt a big blow in their hopes of signing Ben White, with Liverpool reportedly wanting to sign the 22-year-old Brighton man this summer.
The centre-back has performed superbly in his time on loan with Marcelo Bielsa’s side this season, having earned an impressive 7.06/10 average rating across his 39 appearances in the Championship (per WhoScored). The 22-year-old has been ever-present for the Whites as they look to secure promotion back to the Premier League and has been a big part of that effort, with Leeds having conceded just 32 goals in the second tier – which is the best in the Championship (per BBC).
His impressive season has led to a lot of interest in the young defender, with Football Insider suggesting that the likes of Liverpool, Arsenal, Manchester City, Leicester City, and Manchester United are all interested in signing him ahead of next season. However, it seems as if Graham Potter’s side will demand upwards of £35 million for the Englishman, despite him featuring just twice for the senior side at the East Sussex club (per Football Insider).
TIF Thoughts…
Considering White is valued at just £4.95 million by Transfermarkt, it seems as if Brighton are potentially asking for too much for the young centre-back, especially when you consider how the financial side of football is likely to be impacted by the current viral outbreak. This could prove to be a huge blow for Bielsa’s side if they were to be promoted this season, as they would no doubt love to see him return to Elland Road in the Premier League – with Phil Hay having suggested in his recent article for The Athletic that they want to sign him permanently, but are not too hopeful about their chances of doing so.
Do Leeds have any hope of signing White this summer?
Yes
No
The interest of sides such as Liverpool will also surely prove to be a blow, especially with Jurgen Klopp’s side having just secured the Premier League title, and therefore it would perhaps be a surprise to see White return to the Peacocks, even if they were to be promoted and match Brighton’s reported asking price.
However, you could also make the argument that White is more likely to get regular game time with Bielsa’s side, considering he has played every single minute of their Championship campaign thus far, whereas at Liverpool he would perhaps have to displace the likes of Virgil van Dijk, Joel Matip and Joe Gomez if he were to feature in the first-team.
It will be interesting to see if White does leave Brighton this summer and where he ends up.