Ben White (Getty Images)
According to The Guardian, Brighton defender Ben White has signed a new contract which will keep him at the club until June 2024.
The report suggests that White has agreed to a new four-year deal and has committed his future to the Seagulls. By doing this, he has followed in the footsteps of club captain Lewis Dunk, who has also penned a new five-year deal at the AmEx Stadium.
Born in England, White started his journey with Southampton but he was released by the Saints at the age of 16. He then joined the youth ranks of Brighton and made his senior bow with the Seagulls in 2016/17. However, he found it difficult to get regular game time and was sent on loan spells to Newport County and Peterborough United.
However, he came to prominence only in the last season during his loan spell with Leeds United. He featured in every minute of the Championship season for the Whites and was one of the key players in the club’s promotion to the top flight.
His impressive performances garnered a lot of attention from the top clubs and Leeds also desperately wanted him back, as per the report.
Graham Potter has five central defenders available at his disposal. Dunk has been brilliant in the last few years for Brighton and by signing a new deal; he is set to stay for a few more years. Adam Webster and Dan Burn are also available and both of them have done a decent job so far.
They also signed Joel Veltman last month to improve their defensive unit but have lost Shane Duffy, who just moved to Celtic. Thus, extending White’s stay is the right decision by the club.
The 22-year-old was one of the best defenders in the Championship last season and still has a lot of room for development. And if he is able to carry on in the same vein of form, White can go on to be a leader in the Seagulls’ defence. He has already shown great potential and should only get better with experience.
Keeping hold of the young centre-back would also allow Brighton to maintain depth in the squad for the next season with games coming thick and fast. White has the ability to succeed at a higher level and the manager should hand him the right opportunities for him to develop. And under proper guidance, he can grow into a mainstay for years to come.
At 22, White has a huge career ahead of him. Thus, by handing him a new contract, the Seagulls have taken the right step for the future of the club. He showed his potential on loan at Leeds last season, and if he is to translate that form at Brighton, the Englishman can grow into a leader of the Seagulls’ backline with experience.
