Ben White could be ideal summer signing for Liverpool if Dejan Lovren leaves [Opinion]

Former England goalkeeper Paul Robinson yesterday told Football Insider that he reckons Liverpool are considering a possible summer move for defender Ben White, especially with another centre-back likely to leave Anfield at the end of the season.

A recent report from the Liverpool Echo claimed that Dejan Lovren could be sold by the Reds as part of a planned summer overhaul, with Italian media outlet La Lazio Siamo Noi today reporting that he is on Lazio’s radar. If the Croatian departs Anfield this year, Robinson believes that White, on loan at Leeds from Brighton, would be an ideal replacement as a possible centre-back partner for Virgil van Dijk or Joe Gomez, with the 22-year-old having already been monitored by Liverpool, according to Sky Sports.

He told Football Insider: “They’re looking at Ben White at Leeds. Brighton will want him back. He has had a fantastic season and I suspect Liverpool would look at him to play alongside Van Dijk, and or Gomez. Lovren has not had a lot of game time but he is improved. If he leaves they will be looking at somebody like Ben White to come in.”

The young centre-back, who is valued at £6.3m by TransferMarkt, has started all 37 of Leeds’ Championship matches so far this season, forming an integral part of a team currently on course for promotion back to the Premier League after a 16-year absence. Over the course of the season, he has distinguished himself with match averages of 1.7 successful tackles and 2.3 interceptions (as per WhoScored).

Those numbers look even more impressive in the context of the averages posted by Liverpool’s centre-back options. Joel Matip has been the Reds’ most effective tackler among that position, winning 1.5 tackles per Premier League game compared to 1.4 for Lovren, 0.9 for Gomez and 0.8 for Van Dijk. White’s interceptions per game average is also far superior to the Liverpool centre-back quartet, with Matip again the best of that bunch on 1.5 per game ahead of Gomez (1.3), Lovren and Van Dijk (one each). [via WhoScored]

One aspect where White could also bring a new dimension to Liverpool’s defence is in terms of his ability to carry possession out from the back. He has averaged 0.6 successful dribbles per game for Leeds this season, twice as many as Gomez and Matip and far outstripping the 0.1 per game average of Lovren and Van Dijk.

Apart from Gomez, Liverpool’s other centre-backs have won 4.9 or more headers per game, illustrating that aerial ability is a trait that Klopp’s defence can boast in abundance. Even though White is no slouch in the air himself (his 2.8 headers per game average trumps Gomez’s 2.4), his comfort in possession and his aptitude for snuffing out opposition attacks should make him a worthy transfer target for the Reds if, as Robibson has suggested, they are seriously considering him as a successor to Lovren. Also, at just 22, there is a distinct likelihood that he will get even better with top-flight experience in the coming years.

Liverpool fans, do you agree with Robinson’s claim that White would be an ideal summer signing if Lovren moves on? Comment below with your views!