Liverpool could have to pay £20m for Ben White

Brighton may demand £20 million for the services of Ben White this summer, according to The Athletic’s Phil Hay.

White has shone on loan at Leeds United this season, proving to be a key man at the heart of the defence.

The Englishman’s future is up in the air, with Liverpool linked with a move for him, among others.

Speaking in a Q&A on Wednesday, Hay provided an update on White’s future, saying how much he thought Brighton could potentially let him leave for:

No, I doubt as much as £30m. Probably more like £20m. But that’s Brighton’s call and they might not be interested in selling him anyway. Things are changing with their defence and they rate him.

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Although £20 million is a lot of money for a young player still unproven at the top level, White has all the ingredients to potentially be an excellent signing for Liverpool.

At 22, he would represent a long-term purchase and his ability on the ball could make him well-suited to Jurgen Klopp’s style. Of the Leeds players to have played over 100 minutes this season, only Adam Forshaw (89.7%) has a better pass completion rate than White’s 85.2 per cent.

He has also shown a penchant for playing long balls for Leeds this season – something that Virgil van Dijk and Joe Gomez have been equally effective at, exploiting space in behind opposition defences.

White could come in and be a strong fourth-choice option with Dejan Lovren potenially moving on, given his injury problems.