Previous PL links should alleviate Leeds fans concerns about Ben White

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Ben White looks set to be a key player for Leeds United during the coming Championship season.

With the new Championship season and transfer deadline looming on the horizon, it is appearing increasingly likely that Leeds boss Marcelo Bielsa may have no plans to add to his centre-back options before the window closes.

Gaetano Berardi, Pontus Jansson and Liam Cooper actually all had their most impressive campaigns since arriving at Elland Road last term. But Jansson has now left, and both Berardi and Cooper have points to prove after big mistakes in the second-leg of last season’s play-off semi-final.

And the fans’ concerns have not exactly been alleviated with the club’s movements in the market, with Ben White proving to be the only addition, joining on loan from Brighton. White looks to be an incredibly bright prospect, but he is yet to play at a level higher than League One.

The 21-year-old has looked good in pre-season, but he has only played against non-league opposition so far. So it is not difficult to see why some supporters are worried about how vulnerable Leeds may be during the coming season.

But perhaps the Elland Road faithful can take heart from The Sun’s report from as recently as February 2018 which suggested that both Liverpool and Tottenham were interested in signing White before he penned a contract with the Seagulls.

It is a huge statement that those two clubs wanted White just last year. They have been in the Premier League title mix on a number of occasions in recent years, and contested the Champions League final earlier this summer.

Of course, he would have probably not made it into either lineup immediately had he joined either club. But it certainly says a lot that he is so highly-rated by sides on that level.

Berardi and Cooper obviously still need to step up if Leeds are going to surpass what they achieved last season. But while the fans wait to see White properly tested, they can take a lot of confidence from the fact that Bielsa is not the only world-class coach to believe that there is something special about the youngster.