The former Manchester City and Aston Villa right-back – who was at Leeds as a kid and now works as a pundit for Sky Sports – has said that he was impressed with White when he was on loan at Leeds from Brighton and Hove Albion last season.
Richards believes that the Whites not being able to bring the 22-year-old central defender back to Elland Road was a massive blow for Marcelo Bielsa’s side.
According to talkSPORT in September, Leeds made three bids for White, but Premier League rivals Brighton turned them all down before the defender signed a new contract with the Seagulls.
Richards wrote in The Daily Mail: “I watched White a lot last season. He played all 46 games for Leeds and the first question you always ask yourself about someone who is operating at high level in the Championship is whether they could do it in the Premier League.
“After a couple of games, I knew White was too good for the Championship. He’s quick with an added burst of pace, he reads the game well and he is good on the ball. He wouldn’t be the tallest central defender but that is only a minor quibble.
“For Leeds not to be able to sign him was a massive, massive blow. Liverpool and Chelsea were also very keen to sign him but he took the decision to stay at Brighton where he knew he would get plenty of minutes.”
No huge loss for Leeds United
White was superb for Leeds last season and was a key figure in their promotion success, and he would have a very good signing for the West Yorkshire club.
However, the Whites signed Robin Koch, who is a Germany international and is expected to be a success at Elland Road.
As the season progresses, Koch will establish himself as a key figure in the team and will form a formidable partnership at the back with Liam Cooper, just as White did in 2019-20.
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