It appears that Leeds United are fighting a losing battle in their pursuit of Ben White, with Brighton and Hove Albion reportedly rejecting a third bid of £30m for the service of the centre-back.  

Leeds are desperate for White to return to Elland Road in 2020/21, with the 22-year-old so impressive on loan in the Whites’ title-winning campaign.

Sky Sports reported that two bids, with the second around £22m, have already been rejected by Brighton, but Leeds’ pursuit hasn’t ended there.

Quiz: Do you remember which club Leeds United signed these 15 players from?

As per Football Insider, the Whites have thrown £30m at Brighton as they bid to add White back into Marcelo Bielsa’s squad, but that’s been rejected by the Seagulls, who are digging their heels in.

White played 49 times for Leeds last season and was ever-present in the Championship as the only member of Bielsa’s side to play every minute of their league season.

Pairing Liam Cooper at centre-back, White was a sensation, but also showed his versatility by stepping up into midfield and deputising for Kalvin Phillips on occasion.

He registered an assist in a 2-1 win over Luton Town back in November, whilst he opened his goalscoring account for the club on the final day of the season with a sensational volley in a 4-0 win over Charlton Athletic.

The Verdict  

This is proving difficult for Leeds and it is becoming increasingly unlikely that we see White back at Elland Road in the Premier League.

Who can blame Brighton for wanting to retain him; he was exceptional in the Championship and proved he’s got the ability to cope with the Premier League when he came up against Arsenal in January's FA Cup tie.

Where this saga next turns remains to be seen, but things aren’t in Leeds’ favour right now.

Thoughts? Let us know!