Liverpool are reportedly preparing a summer swoop for Brighton & Hove Albion defender and long-term transfer target Ben White.
According to a report from the Liverpool Echo, reigning Premier League champions Liverpool will make a move for Brighton & Hove Albion centre-back Ben White in the summer transfer window later this year.
The 23-year-old has been on the radars of Liverpool for quite some time now. The Reds scouted him heavily throughout last season when he was on loan at Leeds United, helping them earn promotion to the Premier League from the EFL Championship.
Liverpool had been interested in White this past summer but did not make a move as they were of the feeling that the Englishman, who signed a new contract with the Seagulls last year, needed more exposure at the highest level. Having been tracking his progress in his debut Premier League campaign, Liverpool are now ready to swoop for him later this year.
The failure to replace Dejan Lovren after his departure at the end of the last season has come back to haunt Liverpool as they have had to battle injury problems in the defensive department throughout this term. Both Joe Gomez and Virgil van Dijk have been sidelined for a considerable period of time now and are expected to miss the rest of the season.
Joel Matip also continues to be plagued with injury problems, making him an unreliable option for manager Jurgen Klopp, who has turned to Fabinho to provide some sort of stability at the back. While the Brazilian has done well, his partners, Rhys Williams and Nat Phillips are still quite unproven at this level.
So, there have been a lot of talks about Liverpool planning to bring in a new defender in the ongoing transfer window, with Napoli’s Nikola Maksimovic being the latest name linked with a move to Anfield. However, the aforementioned report claims that it is increasingly unlikely that the Reds will move for a centre-back in January.
Instead, Liverpool are ready to wait till the summer to address the issue, with White being the Premier League champions’ priority target. The 23-year-old has fairly impressed in his debut campaign in the English top-flight, despite Brighton’s form being on the decline in recent weeks.
White has started 17 of the Seagulls’ 18 Premier League games this term, featuring in a defensive midfield role in recent games, highlighting the versatility that he would bring to the table. With Liverpool lining up a summer move or the Englishman, they will have to face competition from Manchester United, Chelsea and Tottenham as well.
