According to a recent report by The Athletic’s Phil Hay, Liverpool’s talent scout Andy O’Brien has been keeping a keen eye on Ben White’s performances for Leeds United. It is believed that the Reds are monitoring the progress of the Brighton and Hove Albion defender, who is currently playing on loan at Elland Road. However, the same source has also stated that the Seagulls are eager to retain his services beyond this summer while the Whites could also look to make his loan deal permanent if they can secure promotion back to the Premier League.
White’s Spectacular Loan Spell At Leeds
The Poole-born talent is young, English and has shown a lot of promise during his loan spell in the EFL Championship this season. He has been a commanding presence at the back for Marcelo Bielsa’s side and has put in several memorable performances throughout this campaign.
White has featured in 37 matches for the Whites this term and has averaged 1.8 tackles, 2.4 interceptions and 3.1 clearances per 90 minutes in the English division (stats via whoscored). His numbers have been quite impressive for the West Yorkshire outfit, so it is no wonder that even the European champions are keeping tabs on his progress in the Championship.
The 22-year-old will return to the Amex Stadium at the end of this season and has a contract with the Seagulls that runs out in the summer of 2022. Therefore, it won’t be easy for the Merseyside giants to orchestrate a deal to bring White to Anfield ahead of the new campaign.
What Will The English Centre-Back Add To Klopp’s Side?
White is primarily a centre-half but is versatile enough to fill in as a defensive-midfielder if required. He is a moderately paced defender and can be a dominant presence in the air. The English prospect excels at making well-timed tackles to win possession back for his team. He has a good football IQ which allows him to read the danger quicker than most others around him. However, what makes White such a highly sought-after talent is his composure under pressure that helps him pull off some vital last-gasp clearances for his side.
The Championship sensation will fit into Klopp’s style of play quite well if he decides to make a switch to Merseyside. He is usually composed on the ball and is quite accurate with his ball-distribution out from the back. With two assists to his name and a pass success rate of 85.5% in league football (stats via whoscored), White has proven his worth as a promising modern-day, ball-playing centre-back. Hence, he will be a perfect signing for the Reds in the off-season.
Klopp already has two world-class central defenders in his first-team with Joe Gomez and Virgil Van Dijk starting in almost all of Liverpool’s matches this year. Both Joel Matip and Dejan Lovren have been worthy back-ups for the first-team duo which is why the Merseyside outfit holds the best defensive record in the Premier League.
However, in a recent interview with Sky Sports, Lovren hinted at the possibility of leaving Liverpool in the summer. So if Klopp ends up losing the Croatian centre-back, then it would free up space for the 2019 FIFA Club World Cup champions to make a move for White. He will not only be a signing for the long-run but could also provide some healthy competition for Gomez for a place alongside Van Dijk in Klopp’s starting XI.
