Chelsea dealt blow in signing £40m centre-back

Chelsea have received a transfer blow with Brighton & Hove Albion having decided to retain the services of Ben White for the 2020/21 season.

White spent the previous campaign on loan with Leeds United and he was ever-present at the heart of their defence as they were promoted to the top-flight after a 16-year hiatus.

A recent report from The Star claimed that the Blues are favourites to sign the central defender ahead of Leeds and they are willing to meet Brighton's £40m asking price.

However, the story has been dismissed by The Sun, who claim that the Seagulls have no plans to part ways with the 22-year-old during the current transfer window.

Instead, they are prepared to consider the sale of experienced centre-back Shane Duffy, who made only 14 starts across all competitions for the club last term.

Chelsea are keen on signing at least one centre-back this summer. They have recently been linked with a move for West Ham United's Declan Rice, but the £70m price tag remains a stumbling block.