This article is part of Football FanCast’s Transfer Focus series, which provides opinion and analysis on recent transfer news…
According to The Athletic correspondent Phil Hay, Wolverhampton Wanderers have joined the race for Leeds United’s loan ace Ben White following a string of impressive performances that have contributed to them holding the acclaim of being the Championship’s best defence.
What’s the word?
Several Premier League clubs have been monitoring the progress of White, who is under contract at Brighton & Hove Albion until the summer of 2022, with Liverpool, Manchester United and Leicester City being touted with interest alongside the west Midlanders, as Hay told listeners on his podcast on Thursday.
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The 22-year-old appears destined for a shot at the top-flight following his loan spell at the end of this season, but whether that is on the south coast or not remains to be seen.
White has drawn plaudits consistently over the season, which has seen him compared to Everton defender Michael Keane by former goalkeeper Paul Robinson and even Manchester City’s John Stones, according to ITV presenter Jacqui Oatley.
Forget Ruben Dias
There is no hiding from the fact that Wolves are chasing a central defensive option in January – BirminghamLive revealed the club’s intentions earlier in the season, and that was before their colossus Willy Boly was struck down by a severe injury.
Midfield duo Romain Saiss and Leander Dendoncker have been forced to play out of position given the circumstances.
Wolves have been linked to Ruben Dias very frequently in the past, but with a release clause of €66m (£56m), they should just forget about signing him.
For a third of the price, they could well clinch White, who Brighton reportedly now value at around £20m following his rise to the spotlight at Leeds.
The centre-back seems to be an ideal fit for Nuno Santo’s three-at-the-back system, not just because it is a formation that Marcelo Bielsa has sometimes utilised, but too because of his excellent defensive attributes.
Per WhoScored, White averages a passing success rate of 85.7%, 3.5 clearances, 2.7 interceptions (ranks first in the division), and 1.9 tackles per game in the Championship this campaign.
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In other news, a rival Premier League manager has waxed lyrical about Wolves this season…
