MOT View: Win-win for Whites as Phil Hay claims Man City keen on signing Leeds ace
It’s not just Leeds United fans who have been left enamoured by Ben White’s performance this season.
We knew about Liverpool’s interest, but now both Man City and Man United are also keen, according to Athletic journalist Phil Hay.
If you’ve watched him this season that top-level interest won’t surprise you too much.
After arriving with just experience from Leagues One and Two, White has been brilliant for Leeds – under the careful tutelage of Marcelo Bielsa.
White has even been learning a new position under Bielsa, being trusted with the defensive midfield role when Kalvin Phillips has been missing.
It’s the danger with loans. Unless you have an option, you can end up developing a player for others to benefit from.
However, if White helps get Leeds in the Premier League and he ends up leaving, he won’t be forgotten at Elland Road.
It will be a big blow as at just 22-years-old he’s got the whole game in front of him and we think he can go to the very top.
Even if he goes, it’s not all bad news.
Just as White’s displays haven’t gone unnoticed, managers such as Pep Guardiola, Jurgen Klopp and Ole Gunnar Solskjær will have noted the effect Bielsa has had on a young player who was an unknown quantity before he joined Leeds.
That can only serve Leeds in good stead and lead to more loans of quality young players from top teams in England.
We still hold out hope for White signing for Leeds – his career has obviously been made here.
But, if he does leave, we think his legacy will be more excellent loan deals. It’s a win-win situation.
In other Leeds United news, ‘Absolutely huge’ – Exclusive: Pundit reacts to report Radrizzani set for major transfer coup