Chelsea among clubs keeping tabs on impressive 23-year-old Premier League star

Chelsea have joined the race to sign Brighton & Hove Albion defender Ben White

A report by Sky Sports has named Chelsea as one of the clubs that are monitoring Brighton & Hove Albion centre-back, Ben White.

Ben White impressed in his last season with the then Championship side Leeds United and has now attracted interest from Frank Lampard’s Chelsea. (h/t Sky Sports)

Leeds attempted to tie down White to Elland Road after the end of his loan spell, but their £25m bid for the defender was rejected by Brighton at the start of this season. (h/t Football.london)

Ben White tackles Chelsea striker Timo Werner in the Premier League match between Brighton and Hove Albion and Chelsea in September 2020. (GETTY Images)
Ben White tackles Chelsea striker Timo Werner in the Premier League match between Brighton and Hove Albion and Chelsea in September 2020. (GETTY Images)

Manchester United and Tottenham Hotspur are also after Ben White, while Liverpool clarified that they had no interest in signing him despite the Reds’ pursuit of the defender last summer and their current injury crisis at the back. (h/t Sky Sports)

The Blues did manage to sign 36-year-old Thiago Silva from PSG on a free transfer this season, but Frank Lampard has indicated that he is looking for a long-term solution at the back to plug Chelsea’s defensive holes. (h/t football.london)

Ben White’s contract extension this year saw his stay at the Seagulls extended until the summer of 2024.

Ben White has started in all 10 of Brighton and Hove Albion's Premier League this season. (GETTY Images)
Ben White has started in all 10 of Brighton and Hove Albion’s Premier League this season. (GETTY Images)

The 23-year-old has played the full 90 minutes in all but one of Brighton’s Premier League games this season. The Seagulls lie 16th in the table and are 4 points clear of the relegation zone.

It might not be easy to get Brighton to sell their main centre-back in January as the club battles for survival in the top flight. However, a move for the defender in the summer would make sense for Lampard considering the depth and quality that White would add to the squad.