Brighton and Hove Albion owe Leeds United for help in £50m windfall: View | OneFootball

Brighton have found a lot of success over the last few years.

Last season, the club recorded its highest ever top flight finish, ending the season in 6th to qualify for a place in the Europa League. It was a campaign to remember for Brighton supporters as Roberto De Zerbi led the club to unprecedented success.

This season, the club have balanced European football with domestic football as they sit mid-table in the Premier League.

They have had a slightly less exciting league campaign, but remain in a strong position as a club.

In the last couple of years, Brighton have earned a reasonable amount of money through player sales, with the likes of Alexis Mac Allister and Ben White departing for title-chasing clubs.

The latter joined Arsenal in 2021 and has since become one of the best right-backs in the world.

Brighton earned a whopping £50 million for White, and this money helped Brighton to secure some impressive signings that they would not have been able to make previously.

White's value may not have been as high if he never went on loan to Leeds United earlier in his career, so Brighton have a lot to thank them for.

Ben White's Leeds United spell

By 2019, the defender had not made a league appearance for Brighton, so a loan move elsewhere made the most sense. Leeds United came calling and managed to secure his services for the 2019/20 Championship campaign; a move that would go on to benefit all parties.

White started all 46 Championship games for Leeds that season, mostly in the heart of defence, as the club finished as champions and earned a long-awaited return to the Premier League.

He had already shown flashes of talent on loan at Newport County and Peterborough, but now White was tearing up the Championship and looked ready for top-flight football.

Leeds' defensive record that season was phenomenal, and Ben White played a big part in that.

He helped them keep an astonishing 22 clean sheets in the league that season, and they conceded just 0.65 goals per 90 minutes; a statistic that ultimately won them the league.

Following White's departure, Leeds were unfortunately renowned for conceding a high number of goals, so the defender certainly played a big role in their stability at the back.

Not only did White play every league game, but he also played every single minute of every league game, and despite this, had gone all season without scoring a goal.

White, playing in defence on that day, saw an opportunity after 13 minutes to open the scoring, and he did so in style.

It was the perfect way to conclude his dream loan spell at Elland Road.

Brighton would have been rubbing their hands together as they witnessed their youngster develop into a high-quality defender.

As expected, White had plenty of eyes on him and was linked with Arsenal for quite some time. Brighton were lucky enough to keep him for one more season as he finally became a regular in their starting eleven throughout the 2020/21 campaign.

He made 36 Premier League appearances, and his versatility was key as he was deployed at centre-back, defensive midfield and right-back.

Eventually, the season concluded and Arsenal came swooping in. A deal worth £50 million was agreed, as Brighton earned a huge pay day. Ultimately, they have a lot to thank Leeds for as they played a huge part in his development, giving him maximum game time in a Championship-winning campaign.

The 26-year-old has continued to flourish and has now become one of the best right-backs in the world, as well as the Premier League. He is a mainstay in Arsenal's defence as they continue to challenge for titles, and has made several Champions League appearances.

Recently, White scored a brace against London rivals, Chelsea, as the club picked up a huge 5-0 victory in the Premier League title race. His contributions in both attack and defence on the right flank has made him one of Arsenal's most valuable players this season.

Brighton will be looking at Ben White's progress with immense pride, and will be pleased with the £50 million fee which will help them in the long run. Ultimately though, without his loan spell at Leeds under Marcelo Bielsa, his value probably would not have been as high.