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Blow for Liverpool as key defensive target pens long-term contract with PL club

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By Raghavendra Goudar

Liverpool target Ben White signs new contract with Brighton

As reported by The Guardian, Liverpool transfer target Ben White has penned a new four-year contract extension with Brighton & Hove Albion, denting any hopes of the Reds signing him this summer.

A product of the Brighton youth academy, White put himself on the radars of Liverpool after a brilliant 2019/20 campaign on loan with Leeds United. The 22-year-old was one of the best performers in the EFL Championship, helping Leeds to promotion to the Premier League after 16 years.

Ben White
Ben White excelled on loan at Leeds United

The Englishman’s exploits with the Yorkshire-based outfit meant that the likes of Liverpool, Manchester United and Manchester City all took an interest. At the same time, Leeds United, too, were keen on signing him on a permanent basis this summer. (h/t The Guardian)

However, Brighton have stood firm on their stance that the 22-year-old was not for sale. In fact, they even rejected multiple offers from Leeds for White. And now, they have managed to secure the centre-back’s long-term future, by tying him down to a four-year contract. (h/t The Guardian)

This ought to come as a blow for Liverpool. Following the exit of Dejan Lovren at the end of the last season, the Reds are light on numbers in the centre-back department. And adding someone of White’s quality and potential would have been a great piece of business by the club.

But, with him committing his future to the Seagulls, we must now look elsewhere to bolster our defensive ranks.

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By signing Kostas Tsimikas, we have addressed one key concern already this summer. But, there need to be a few more incomings if we are to build on our success from last season. Given the packed schedule for the upcoming campaign, quality squad depth will be of paramount importance.