Speaking recently on the Football Writers Podcast, Adrian Clarke stated that it would be ‘daft’ for Brighton not to bring Ben White back to the club this summer.
Since joining Leeds on a season-long loan deal from Brighton last summer, White has gone on to establish himself as a crucial part of the Championship-winning side, starting all 45 of Leeds’ league fixtures so far this term.
Not only has he been ever-present, but White has also excelled at Championship level, with the centre-back averaging 1.6 tackles, 2.5 interceptions and 2.7 clearances per game in the league, as well as chipping in with one assist and averaging an impressive WhoScored match rating of 7.06 – ranking him as Marcelo Bielsa’s fifth-best player this season.
As a result of his performances, Leeds appear keen to make the defender’s loan deal a permanent one this summer, however, Brighton manager Graham Potter has claimed that White will be part of his first-team plans next season, as well as the South Coast side slapping a £35 million price tag on the defender’s head, amid reported interest from Premier League champions Liverpool.
Adrian Clarke recently stated on the Football Writers Podcast that Brighton would be ‘daft’ not to bring White back to the club for next season, and, thus, that Leeds will have to find a replacement for the 22-year-old.
He said: “At the back, Ben White is on loan from Brighton and, based on the quality of his performances, Brighton would be daft not to bring him back into their team. So they [Leeds] need a centre-half.”
TIF Thoughts…
Losing a player of White’s quality will undoubtedly be a huge blow for Leeds ahead of their first Premier League season in 16 years.
However, according to Football Insider, there are some factors that stand in Leeds’ favour regarding a permanent move for White, being that Bielsa is largely responsible for the development of the defender, and also that the 22-year-old is said to love being at Leeds.
Do you think it would be worth spending £35 million on White this summer?
Yes
No
In any case, in our opinion, £35 million may very well be a price worth paying in order to secure the services of White going forward, and with a £170 million promotion windfall coming in, the funds could be available for Bielsa to make a move for the defender this summer.