Brighton will not be selling Ben White in the summer transfer window. White has been a feature in Leeds United transfer news over the last few days, but the centre-back will be staying on the south coast.
Reported by Rob Dorsett of Sky Sports, Leeds had a third bid of £25 million turned down for White last week which effectively ended their pursuit of the defender.
Brighton see Leeds as a direct rival in the Premier League in 2020-21 and will not be making a move that could strengthen Marcelo Bielsa’s side.
Leeds had other bids of £18.5 and £22 million rejected, and have clearly moved on from White. Their alternative could turn out to be Freiburg centre-back Robin Koch, who has been linked with the club recently.
When it comes to defensive improvements, John Stones has also cropped up as a potential target. The England international is believed to be available this summer after falling out of favour at Manchester City.
Leeds will clearly be disappointed to miss out on a permanent deal for White, but there are plenty of other options in central defence that would be an upgrade on what they have at the moment.
Basel Striker On His Way
The agents of FC Basel striker Arthur Cabral are trying to complete a deal with Leeds United according to reports from UOL.
It is reported that Leeds made an offer of up to £16.1 million for Cabral with the majority of the fee being paid up front. Basel are believed to want a sum closer to £18 million.
Cabral’s agents are thought to be meeting with Leeds in Portugal this week with the player desperate to play Premier League football next season.
It is a complicated negotiation, however, with his former club Palmeiras entitled to a percentage of the sale.
The Basel man is primarily a poacher and has the physical profile to deal with the Premier League game. He would give Bielsa a very different option from Patrick Bamford.
Rodrigo Deal Moves Closer
After several days in the Leeds transfer rumours headlines, Spanish paper Sport are reporting Leeds have held firm talks with Valencia about a deal for Rodrigo.
Leeds United are expected to submit their first offer to Valencia for Rodrigo, with the offer in the region of €25m [AS] #LUFC pic.twitter.com/mRsayXpkOi
— LUFC transfer updates (@LufcTransfer) August 24, 2020
Despite scepticism at times of a transfer being completed, Sport now believes there is a ‘serious chance’ of Leeds landing the Spanish international. Rodrigo is interested in a move and Valencia are desperate to raise funds.
There is an asking price of around £25 million for Rodrigo, which would break Leeds’ current transfer record.
This is clearly a way to go before Rodrigo is pulling on the famous Leeds shirt, but this is a significant step in the right direction for Bielsa.
*Credit for the main photo belongs to Kirsty Wigglesworth / AP Photo*
