Chelsea are reportedly showing interest in Brighton loanee Ben White, who has impressed during his season-long loan stint at Leeds United.
According to The Sun, Ben White has seen another Premier League giant join the list of clubs interested in him. The Brighton loanee is firmly on the radar of Chelsea now, with his performances on loan at Leeds United already drawing interest from Liverpool and Manchester United, among others.
Ben White has become a regular under Marcelo Bielsa at Leeds United and has played every minute of the club’s Championship season so far. The 22-year-old has had a strong part in Leeds not missing the services of former captain Pontus Jansson, who was shipped off to Brentford during the summer.
Chelsea, on the other hand, have failed miserably at the back under Frank Lampard. Their woeful defensive record has played a huge role in undermining the great work the Chelsea attack has done under their new manager so far.
One clean sheet in the last 10 matches in all competitions has not only seen them suffer a close shave in the Champions League, but also seen their buffer at fourth shrink to just 3 points.
Antonio Rudiger has been riddled with injury issues almost all season and the likes of Kurt Zouma and Andreas Christensen have found it hard to get going under Frank Lampard. Cesar Azpilicueta was also tried in the centre-back role, to no avail. Fikayo Tomori is the only one who has looked comfortable in central defence, with Lampard likely to focus on bringing in a centre-back to shore up the backline.
The 22-year-old is likely to command a fee of around £25 million as at the moment.
The problem in the pursuit of White could stem from the interest of multiple of top clubs, with the likes of Chelsea, Manchester United, Liverpool and others likely to drive up the price of the 22-year-old. Brighton, on the other hand, could set up an auction situation in such a case.
Chelsea, though, could jump the queue with a move in January itself. £25 million is a considerable amount for an English defender, given that the 22-year-old has a contract till 2022 but no Premier League experience.
