Exclusive: Whelan tips ‘Excellent’ Liverpool target to dislodge 22-yr-old from Klopp’s XI
Noel Whelan insisted Ben White would put real pressure on Joe Gomez’s shirt next season if Liverpool completed a summer deal.
The former Leeds United forward, speaking exclusively to Football Insider correspondent Dylan Childs, suggested the 22-year-old would grow immensely from training on a daily basis with the talent at Anfield.
As revealed by Football Insider, the Reds are considering a summer move but have reservations over the stature and aerial ability of the centre-half.
White is currently on loan at Leeds United from Premier League strugglers Brighton and has impressed in his 37 Championship appearances.
Whelan admitted Gomez, 22, is ahead of the Leeds loanee in his development given his wealth of experience at both club and international level.
“He is doing an excellent job at Leeds but he might want to be playing side by side with van Dijk,” he told Football Insider.
“White reminds me very much of Joe Gomez. That pace, very good on the ball and reads the game very well.
“I would say Gomez is a little bit ahead of him because he has got the experience in the Premier League but there is no doubt that Ben White would be very close on the heels of Gomez and pushing to play alongside van Dijk.
“He would learn a great deal from the two of them. Also playing against better players every day and figuring out problems – like Mane would give you! Sometimes the best way to learn is against the best. You would learn a lot about your game training next to players like that day in day out.”
Virgil van Dijk is widely recognised as the best defender in the world having won the PFA Players’ Player of the Year last year as well as finishing runner-up to Lionel Messi in the Ballon d’Or.
In other Liverpool news, Alan Hutton has told Football Insider “writing is on the wall” for 24-year-old this summer.