---
title: "Leeds owner coy on the future of Liverpool target White"
canonical: "https://readliverpoolfc.com/articles/leeds-owner-coy-on-the-future-of-liverpool-target-white/"
type: "post"
language: "en-GB"
author: "Henry Jackson"
section: "Articles"
published: "2020-02-05T20:30:00Z"
modified: "2020-02-05T20:30:00Z"
---

# Leeds owner coy on the future of Liverpool target White

Leeds United owner Victor Orta has discussed the future of Ben White, admitting he isn’t sure where the defender will be playing next season.

The centre-back has been a key man for Leeds this season, [starting all 30 matches](https://www.whoscored.com/Players/322036/Show/Ben-White) in the Championship and helping them reach [second place in the table](https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/championship/table).

White, who is on loan at Leeds from Brighton, has been linked with a move to Liverpool, with [The Athletic](https://theathletic.co.uk/1384972/2019/11/20/a-white-wall-how-bielsa-built-the-football-leagues-meanest-defence-around-a-22-year-old-who-is-tempting-liverpool/) confirming their interest late last year.

Leeds too have been [linked](https://www.footballtransfertavern.com/transfer-rumours/leeds-united-brighton-and-hove-albion-rejected-permanent-clause-in-ben-whites-loan-deal/) with a permanent move, with the Championship side failing in their attempt to include an option to buy in their initial loan deal with Brighton.

Speaking to [Leeds Live](https://www.leeds-live.co.uk/sport/leeds-united/victor-orta-transcript-january-window-17677285), Orta provided an update on the 22-year-old’s future, suggesting he isn’t sure whether or not the club will be able to sign White permanently:

> Nobody can predict the future.
>
> The only sure thing in the world is we are going to die. The rest is unpredictable. We are talking about a Premier League level player.

### Read Liverpool Verdict

I think White could be a fantastic addition to Liverpool’s back-line this summer. He is calm on the ball and rarely gives it away, with an [85.5 per cent pass completion rate](https://www.whoscored.com/Players/322036/Show/Ben-White) proof of that.

A preference for a long diagonal ball means he is also suited to Liverpool, with the likes of Virgil van Dijk and Joe Gomez [famed](https://www.thisisanfield.com/2019/09/watch-virgil-van-dijk-on-the-passing-range-that-has-become-the-ace-up-liverpools-sleeve/) for going long this season, using the width of the pitch and finding space in behind defenders.

I think the club may want to consider replacing Dejan Lovren with White as the Reds’ fourth-choice centre-back, with the former now 30 years of age and [injury-prone](https://www.transfermarkt.co.uk/dejan-lovren/verletzungen/spieler/37838).

White could come in and learn from the likes of Van Dijk, Gomez and Joel Matip, maturing into a formidable squad player, although Brighton may understandably be keen to keep hold of him, having previously [rejected](https://www.footballtransfertavern.com/transfer-rumours/leeds-united-brighton-and-hove-albion-rejected-permanent-clause-in-ben-whites-loan-deal/) Leeds’ attempt to include an option to buy.