When former Leeds United striker Noel Whelan spoke exclusively to Football Insider, he was full of praise for on-loan Brighton centre-back Ben White.
Whelan was full of praise for the 22-year-old, going as far to say: “He is going to be an England international and is heading for a top club, a Champions League club. There’s no doubt he’s good enough.” This great news for parent club Brighton but pretty terrible for any Leeds fan, as a ‘Champions League club’ will likely have a lot of money to offer for the centre-back, which will likely be too much to turn down.
The former Leeds man was also very impressed with White’s current form when saying: “Right now, he’s on a par with John Stones, if not better than him. Ben White is much younger, has room for improvement and has a massive career ahead of him.” Now Manchester City is most definitely a Champions League club and arguably one of the best in the world, so to suggest that the 22-year-old is capable of getting into that squad is a big claim.
Whelan also gave a price estimate for the young man: “I’m not surprised he’s being linked with Liverpool and Man United. This kid could play in any team. He’s heading for a £50million move in the next year or two.” Again great for Brighton but terrible for Leeds, although the thought of a Ben White and Virgil van Dijk partnership is pretty exciting!
Verdict
The price tag of £50m seems a little overboard, especially as bigger clubs know they are dealing with Brighton, not a club like Real Madrid who can afford to be picky over prices. However, we still believe he would cost at least £20m which would almost instantly rule out Leeds even if they do gain promotion this season, as any prize money from the Championship will likely be spent on improving the whole squad, rather than blowing it all on one amazing player.
Indeed, it isn’t difficult to understand why Whelan has made such a rather outlandish claim regarding the centre-back though, as his performances have certainly caught the eye. Having allegedly caught the attention of Liverpool and Manchester United, the 22-year-old has been instrumental for Marcelo Bielsa’s side this season and has been a key component in the Whites’ promotion charge. The Brighton loanee has gone on to make an average of 1.9 tackles, 2.9 interceptions and 3.6 clearances per match in his 16 Championship appearances so far (per WhoScored).
Leeds might have to make the most of him this season because if he continues in the upward trajectory he is showing, it is unlikely he’ll be at Elland Road for too much longer.