Leeds United defender Ben White has been one of the outstanding performers in the Championship this season.

The on-loan Brighton man has stepped into the void left by Pontus Jansson with considerable ease, and there has been plenty of praise in the direction of White from fans and pundits alike.

That praise looks to be coming from other clubs too, with the Sun reporting this weekend that Liverpool could be ready to splash £20m on the young defender if he continues his fine form for Leeds.

Indeed, Liverpool are looking for new defenders to sit and play alongside Virgil Van Dijk, with the report claiming that the Reds are keen on bringing White in as a direct replacement for Croatian international, Dejan Lovren.

There's little doubting just how impressive White has been for Marcelo Bielsa's men this term, so with that in mind, we looked at the TWO key reasons why Liverpool will be so keen to land White...

Matip and Lovren both unconvincing

It's all well and good having the best defender in the world in your team, but there has to be some support there too.

While Matip is having his finest seasons so far in a Liverpool shirt, Lovren has lost his way, with some rash displays and mistakes beginning to creep into his game.

Lovren seems to leave a lot of Liverpool fans on edge when it comes to his selection in the team, so having White to call upon as a long-term replacement for the Croatian is a smart move by the club.

Performances speak volumes

Liverpool doesn't just come knocking for no reason, and Ben White's performances have meant it's almost impossible for the big clubs to ignore him.

An ever-present for the Whites this term for Leeds, and averaging an impressive 3.3 interceptions a game along with 3.6 clearances, the stats are there to back up White's credentials.

Add this to the fact Marcelo Bielsa has been so trusting in a young player at a club the size of Leeds, and there's little doubting just why the Reds are sniffing.