Alex Crook delivers Ben White transfer update after huge Leeds bid and top-6 interest reported
talkSPORT transfer expert Alex Crook has delivered a transfer update on Ben White and it’s mixed news for Leeds United.
The Sun reported on Sunday night that Leeds have tabled a huge £35m bid for White (£30m cash and £5m in add-ons) that Brighton are set to reject.
The report also claimed that all of the Premier League’s top-six clubs have now contacted Brighton about White, too.
Talking on the White & Sawyer Show (talkSPORT, Monday, 12.30pm), Crook started off talking about a reported Chelsea move for Brighton centre-back Lewis Dunk.
Crook discounted this and said, “I’m 95% sure that Dunk will stay at Brighton.”
That’s good news for Leeds.
Responding to the latest report from The Sun, Crook said, “We know Leeds are desperate to get him but I don’t think clubs like Man United are looking at White.
“He’s not played above the Championship. It would be a massive gamble for them. Bielsa loves him, Brighton don’t want to sell him and they don’t want to sell him to a potential relegation rival.”
Crook went on to say that he could see centre-back Shane Duffy moving from Brighton this summer.
Time for Leeds to call Brighton’s bluff
The same Sun report said that Brighton wanted £50m before they’d consider selling White.
With all due respect – and we love White as much as anyone – that’s a ridiculous valuation for an untested Premier League player.
Crook has good sources on the south coast and if he says club like Man United are not in for White, that’s good news for Leeds.
Dunk staying is also positive for Leeds and Duffy only made 12 starts for Brighton last season.
There are still a lot of moving parts here. White still hasn’t signed a new contract at Brighton and no other club has seemingly bid for him.
Leeds have now also identified Robin Koch as a back-up for White and we’d like to see them crack on with that if Brighton are playing hardball and lumping us in with them as relegation fodder.
If White wants to come back to Leeds then it could force his hand to communicate that to Brighton.
In other Leeds United news, ‘That’s a no then’, ‘Jesus’ – Some Leeds fans react as top attacking target posts Twitter update