Everton have made a late move in an attempt to hijack a deal to sign Brighton and England defender Ben White.
The young centre-half, currently on international duty with England, has been the subject of intense interest from Premier League side Arsenal over a £50 million deal for the home-grown talent.
Fresh reports from the Daily Mail, as quoted by The Toffee Blues (@EvertonNewsFeed) on Twitter, indicate that the Gunners will now need to compete with Everton for White’s signature.
Twitter:
Everton have held talks with Brighton over Defender, Ben White regarding a £50M move. No formal offer has been mad… https://t.co/4gjLhOV1sc (@EvertonNewsFeed)
No formal offer has been reportedly lodged, with the club supposedly willing to match Brighton’s £50 million price tag – though the Toffees only wish to offer an initial £20 million up front.
The remainder of the deal would see £30 million paid in instalments spread across four years.
The Dorset-born defender, 23, spent the 2019/20 campaign impressing for Leeds United in their Championship title-winning campaign before featuring in almost every Premier League game (36) for his parent club.
Read Everton Verdict
With Benitez fresh through the gates of Goodison Park, club officials have wasted no time in getting the process of rebuilding the squad underway.
A 2-cap England international with plenty of promising years ahead of him, White could be a shrewd home-grown investment to shore up Everton’s defence for years to come.
White is also versatile and is adept in a central defensive midfield role, with the potential to feature in a variety of tactical configurations.
He is noted for his ability to drive attacks from deeper-lying positions and is a masterful interceptor, adding dynamism and quality to defences.
However, whether Brighton would accept the lack of a significant upfront fee in relation to the rest of the overall cost of the deal is another conundrum for the Toffees.
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