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Former Chelsea and Newcastle boss Rafa Benitez caused quite a stir on Wednesday, as he was officially announced as the new manager of Everton, replacing Carlo Ancelotti who departed for Real Madrid last month.
The Spaniard sparked controversy in doing so, having managed Everton’s bitter Merseyside rivals Liverpool just a decade ago.
The 61-year-old enjoyed great success with the Reds, winning the Champions League in the most dramatic fashion against AC Milan in 2005.
However, after respectable spells with Chelsea and Newcastle, the Spaniard is back in the Premier League with a fourth club.
Despite being in the job for just two days, it appears that Benitez is already getting started on identifying potential transfer targets, and the Toffees could be about to challenge Arsenal for the signature of an England international.
According to the Daily Mail, the club are interested in Brighton and Hove Albion’s Ben White, despite the player reportedly being on the verge of joining Arsenal.
White looks increasingly likely to depart Brighton this summer
It had been widely reported that the Gunners were close to making White their first summer signing, apparently agreeing a £50 million deal for the player, who is currently on international duty with England at Euro 2020.
The report suggests that Everton have already been in talks with the Seagulls, and have offered a deal that matches Arsenal’s offer, but with the caveat of having an extra £5 million in add-ons.
Brighton have already rejected two Arsenal bids, the highest of which was £42 million plus £4 million in add-ons.
While the Toffees are yet to lodge a formal offer, they have apparently confirmed that they would be willing to pay Brighton’s asking price of £50 million, with £20 million upfront and the remainder spread over the four years of White’s potential contract.
White was drafted into Gareth Southgate’s England squad as a last minute replacement for the injured Trent Alexander-Arnold, but is yet to feature for the Three Lions at Euro 2020.
The 23-year-old has made it clear to his employers that he wishes to leave, while it is believed that he was told he would be able to do so if a top-six club came calling when he signed a contract extension last year.
Despite initially favouring a move to Arsenal, the England international is apparently impressed with the speed with which Everton have moved and could now be persuaded otherwise.
White, who spent the 2019/21 season on loan with Leeds United during their Championship title-winning campaign, made 36 league appearances for the South coast side last term.
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