Liverpool are monitoring the situation of Ben White amid reports linking Dejan Lovren with a move to Zenit St. Petersburg.
According to Evening Standard, Ben White is among the players currently being monitored by Liverpool. The Brighton & Hove Albion defender, who was on loan to Leeds United during the 2019/20 is highly rated by the club’s recruitment team. He could possibly be identified as a replacement for Dejan Lovren next season.
The Liverpool star has been linked with a €12 million move to Zenit St. Petersburg after falling down the pecking order at Anfield. At the same time, however, the Reds are concerned about White’s potential price-tag since his status as an English footballer could skyrocket his value.
In fairness, though, Brighton & Hove Albion demanding a sizeable fee for White would make sense given his success at Leeds United this season. He, along with the likes of Kalvin Phillips and Pablo Hernandez were one of the main protagonists in the club’s incredible success under Marcelo Bielsa.
Indeed, White featured in every single league game for Leeds, helping the Whites secure the best defensive record in the Championship. His addition at Liverpool, therefore, should add more steel to Jurgen Klopp’s defensive unit that has shown signs of vulnerability, of late.
However, the 22-year-old is not only a sturdy and disciplined defender. On the contract, what makes White such an appealing target for Liverpool is his ability to play the ball out from the back. He isn’t afraid to carry the ball forward and has the positional sense to clear out any counter-attacking opportunities for the opposition.
It essentially means that the Brighton defender can provide an added incentive for the likes Joe Gomez and Joel Matip to fight for their place in the starting lineup. But on a more critical note, White can also feature as a holding midfielder, meaning he can also provide back-up for Fabinho in the number six role.
That being said, Liverpool could face stiff competition from Leeds United in the pursuit of White. The Championship winners are, in fact, keen on retaining the services of the prized defensive asset following their promotion to the Premier League next season. Even Chelsea were linked with a move for the youngster earlier this year.
The player himself might favour Bielsa over Klopp known he will get more game-time at Elland Road. Therefore, it will be interesting to see how this transfer saga takes shape in the within the coming weeks as White looks to take the next step in his career.