Liverpool told Ben White will cost £50million in January

Liverpool have been warned that it will cost them £50million if they want to sign Ben White from Brighton during the January transfer window.

Newspaper reports today claim that the Reds are considering re-igniting their interest in the 23-year-old centre-back who was considered in the summer. The Mirror report that ‘the link has re-emerged with Jürgen Klopp likely to be on the lookout for a defender when the transfer window re-opens in January.’

Anfield scouts tracked White last season and at one point it looked like the Liverpool manager would table a bid for him following a successful loan spell at Leeds United, but the numbers quoted were deemed unacceptable and our interest cooled.

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Liverpool limited their spending during the summer and it was decided to leave the centre-back position alone until next year. Club insiders have since said that the Reds would instead continue to monitor how White fairs in the Premier League this season before considering him again next summer.

With Virgil van Dijk out for most of the season, if not all of it, some observers feel that Liverpool may dip into the market during the January window.

KOPTALK sources had believed that Liverpool could make a move for RB Leipzig centre-back Dayot Upamecano next summer when his release clause drops to approximately £37million, but there may now be some urgency to bring a centre-back in earlier. Doing business in January can be problematic though and players are often valued much higher than during the summer as clubs obviously don’t want to lose players mid-season. Both White and Upamecano would command a premium in January and that isn’t going to go down well with Liverpool owners Fenway Sports Group (FSG).

Make-shift centre-back Fabinho was outstanding in the heart of Liverpool’s defence against Ajax last night plus the boss does have other options that he can call upon. However, another injury and a busy fixture schedule could prove a headache for the boss. A centre-back was already on the agenda for next summer but the Reds must now decide if one should be targeted in January.

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