Liverpool will reportedly need to stump up £50 million in order to land Ben White, with Brighton set to demand the said figure for a January transfer.
According to The Sun, Liverpool are set to delve into the transfer market in January in order to bring in defensive backups, thanks to Virgil van Dijk’s gruesome long-term ACL injury. Ben White is on their radar but Brighton will reportedly ask for £50 million to let go of their star defender mid-season.
In what has been a sweaty start to the defence of their Premier League title, the 2020/21 season has already served up quite a sour taste for Liverpool and their fans. The Reds have looked far from their dominating selves and have struggled to close out games. The defence has lacked the same swagger as well, conceding 13 goals in just 5 games so far.
Their problems have been compounded, though, after a horror tackle from Jordan Pickford in the 2-2 draw with Everton saw Virgil van Dijk contract an ACL injury. The Dutch international is set to be out for over 6 months and Jurgen Klopp will be looking to delve into the market in January to add to the central defensive options in van Dijk’s absence.
Many names have started doing the rounds. But, one such name is that of Ben White, who has been linked with a move to Liverpool from summer. The Brighton defender had a solid season on loan at Leeds United, helping them achieve promotion to the Premier League.
Back at Brighton and having stayed put despite all the transfer speculation in the summer, White has become a regular for his parent club, starting all 5 Premier League games so far. The 23-year-old has done a decent job so far, despite Brighton not being on the favourable end of results.
Ben White vs Crystal Palace:
• Joint-most ball recoveries (8)
• Joint-most defensive aerial duels won (4)
• Second-most tackles completed (4/6)
• Third most passes attempted (65), fourth most completed (51)#BHAFC pic.twitter.com/c8w9XPwuHB— Albion Analytics (@AlbionAnalytics) October 18, 2020
White doesn’t possess natural height but is surprisingly good in the air, averaging 2.4 aerial duels won per game – the same number as van Dijk this season. The 23-year-old averages a total of 4.4 interceptions, tackles and clearances every Premier League game in what is his first season in the top-flight.
White’s numbers are better than every Liverpool central defender this season thus far and while he is expected to clock in more owing to the fact that Brighton face more attacks and attacking endeavours per game compared to Liverpool, it is clear to see that the 23-year-old possesses the goods.
£50 million might be a tad bit too much to spend in the current conditions but January transfers are almost always costlier since Brighton will have to part with an established member of the squad mid-season. Liverpool have been keeping an eye on White for a while and it wouldn’t surprise anyone if he is brought in at Anfield come January.
