?Chelsea are hoping to sign £25m-rated defender Ben White from Brighton, following an impressive spell at Leeds United this season.
White is currently on loan at Elland Road and has started all 22 Championship games this season, helping Leeds to second in the table and catching the eye with his strong and consistent performances.
But according to ?The Sun, Frank Lampard wants to bring the 22-year-old to Stamford Bridge in January following the club’s transfer ban being lifted.
?Chelsea are very keen on capturing White’s signature after having watched him regularly during the Championship season. However, ?Brighton aren’t too keen on letting him go.
His loan at ?Leeds lasts until the end of the season, with the Seagulls planning on White featuring for them next season. But a £25m offer, plus White’s willingness to join the Blues, may make it a difficult deal to turn away.
Chelsea are desperate for defensive reinforcements and have previously been linked with a ?£40m move for former defender Nathan Aké, however, the defender has just picked up an injury for Bournemouth.
It’s believed that White would move straight in to the Chelsea first team and would be able to play in the Champions League for the Blues.
Chelsea have brought through a number of young English players this season, with the likes of Tammy Abraham, Mason Mount, Fikayo Tomori and Reece James all featuring prominently for Lampard’s side this term.
However, highlighted by another defeat to ?Bournemouth at the weekend, the Blues do have issues at the back and they seem set to amend this when the transfer window opens in January.
Chelsea have also been ?linked with a move for Crystal Palace star Wilfried Zaha, and it appears that Lampard will be given something of a ‘war chest’ to spend in the coming windows with a figure of £150m touted as January approaches.
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