Why Liverpool should sign Ben White to bolster their defensive unit

As per Football Insider (h/t The Shields Gazette), Liverpool are planning a summer swoop for Brighton defender Ben White, who is currently on loan with Leeds United. White, 22, came through Brighton and Hove Albion’s youth ranks and played for Newport County and Peterborough on loan before moving to Leeds United last summer.

He has been the biggest influence in the Whites’ promotion-chasing campaign. A regular under Marcelo Bielsa, he has well and truly established himself as one of the best defenders in the Championship this term.

Meanwhile, Liverpool have been the best side in the Premier League this term as they are 23 points clear off second-placed Manchester City in the title race. They have been dominant and Jurgen Klopp has managed to take them to greater heights.

They are flying high on the success of their forwards, who have scored 66 goals so far this season. At the same time, the Virgil van Dijk-led defensive unit has been terrific in the past two seasons, conceding just 21 goals as they boast of the best defensive record in the league.

However, the defensive unit has shown slight inconsistency in the latter part of the campaign after Joel Matip was injured and was out of action for a long time. Though Joe Gomez filled in well, Croatian centre-back Dejan Lovren hasn’t been at his best for quite a while. And with Lovren attracting interest from several clubs, Klopp should decide to bring in reinforcements to tighten their backline.

In that regard, Brighton’s Ben White would be the best option for the Reds as he is just 22 and Liverpool can do well in the future with him in the side.

The 22-year-old has helped the Whites keep 17 clean sheets so far and has been one of the main centre-backs for Leeds this term. He can be the perfect back up for Van Dijk or Gomez, given his potential. The former Newport County man would undoubtedly add the much-needed depth to Klopp’s squad. At 22, he has a big future ahead of him and could be a big boost to the squad.

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Verdict

White is establishing himself as a talented defender and this would be the right time for him to tale a step in the top-flight. Therefore, Klopp should make him a top priority and lure him to Anfield in the summer.