Leeds United fans can relax - 'no chance' Brighton will recall Ben White in the January transfer window

There is 'no chance at all' that Leeds United's star loanee Ben White will return to his parent club Brighton in January.
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The centre-half has made himself an instant favourite at Elland Road thanks to his cool, calm, collected style of play.

Despite never having played in the Championship previously, the 22-year-old has slotted straight into Marcelo Bielsa's defence, forming a solid partnership with Liam Cooper and becoming key to the Leeds United style of play.

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His ability on the ball has helped to pass the ball out from the back, switch play diagonally to the flanks or go direct to centre forward Patrick Bamford with unerring accuracy and when a pass isn't on, White has taken it upon himself to run the ball through the middle.

Defensively the youngster has barely put a foot wrong and is one of a great number of Bielsa's players who deserve credit for their miserly goals against column - the Whites have conceded only nine times in 16 league games.

The consistency with which he has performed is, according to Bielsa, difficult to achieve and it has led to fears among the Leeds faithful that Brighton could seek to recall their defender in January and deal a blow to United's promotion hopes.

Premier League giants like Liverpool have already been linked with big-money moves for White, adding to Leeds fans' concerns.

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Players on season-long loans can be recalled by their parent club in the January transfer window. but only if the two clubs have agreed a recall clause in advance.

Ben White has been ever-present for Leeds United in the Championship (Pic: PA)Ben White has been ever-present for Leeds United in the Championship (Pic: PA)
Ben White has been ever-present for Leeds United in the Championship (Pic: PA)

Sources have told the YEP that the only way Brighton could have brought him back to the AMEX Stadium was if he failed to play a certain percentage of Leeds' games.

To date, White has played every single minute of Leeds' 16 Championship matches, started the EFL Cup game at Salford and came off the bench at half-time against Stoke City in the same competition, meaning he has missed just 45 minutes of action all season.

The certainty that he will remain central to Bielsa's plans will leave Brighton with no recourse to remove him from Elland Road in January and there were no other recall options inserted in the deal that took him to Leeds.

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A source said: "There is no chance at all of a recall, which is good news for Leeds fans."

Brighton themselves are 'delighted' with the progress White is making in his third loan stint.

Previous spells at Newport County in League Two and at Peterborough United in League One were deemed a success, before his latest step up in competition.

The Seagulls' boss Graham Potter said: "The feedback has been really positive and that's good for everybody. He was a player that was after first team football and he's a player that has taken steps to improve and that's brilliant for him. He is still our player and we are happy that he is having a good experience and that he's getting better. We are delighted."

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White recently responded to the rave reviews that have flooded his way from his Leeds team-mates, pundits and fans, insisting he would remain focused on the job of helping his loan club to achieve their 2019/20 goal.

"People keep saying how well I’m doing but I know I have to keep my head down and continue working hard for the team to make sure we get the results we need to achieve our aim at the end of the season," he said.