, Leeds United must keep key partnership says pundit – even if it costs £35m

Leeds United must keep key partnership says pundit – even if it costs £35m

Ben White hasn’t just come into Leeds United and filled a gap alongside captain Liam Cooper, he’s made that gap his own. Such has been the level of maturity that the 22-year-old has shown in his first season at this level, you’d be excused for thinking he’d been a Championship footballer for years. It is this that causes Noel Whelan to clamour for the Whites to snap him and damn the cost.

Essentially a replacement for the departing Pontus Jansson, the Poole-born youngster has fitted in at the back for the Whites with effortless aplomb. He’s been a double ever-present this season after featuring in every game and for every minute of Leeds United’s 2019/20 campaign.

It is a campaign that inched even closer to Premier League promotion at the weekend as Pablo Hernandez’s last-gasp goal gave the Whites all three points against Swansea and stretched their buffer to the playoff places and Brentford to six points.

Warren Little/Getty Images Sport

If the Bees drop any points against Preston and Leeds beat Barnsley then it’s Premier League here we come for the West Yorkshire side. A Brentford loss would mean Leeds only need a point against the Tykes to go up. That promotion will owe a lot to the strength at Leeds United’s defensive core with the Ben White-Liam Cooper partnership delivering up 20 clean sheets this season.

When asked about the Cooper-White partnership against Swansea, pundit Whelan told Football Insider:

“It was a different proposition to Vokes and Campbell [Stoke City’s strikers] that’s for sure. Ayew and Brewster are a handful and they are intelligent. The second half we dominated them though.”

This lead Whelan to add:

“Cooper and White have been the best defensive partnership all season. Another clean sheet on the board. They are proving to be a fantastic partnership which is why we desperately do not want to break them up for next year.”

The trouble here is simple; Ben White’s performances have elevated him to the level where the likes of Liverpool and both Manchester outfits are monitoring him. With that in mind, it could take big money indeed to land White and bring him to Elland Road on a permanent deal.

Previous Article
, Liverpool fans rave about Leeds United Ben White as Lovren replacement

Liverpool fans rave about Leeds United Ben White as Lovren replacement

Next Article
, Brentford star Watkins opens up on Michael Jordan influence

Brentford star Watkins opens up on Michael Jordan influence

Related Posts