Chelsea are hot on the heels of Premier League rivals Liverpool in the race to sign Brighton's Ben White this summer.

The 22-year-old has attracted a lot of attention after helping to guide Leeds to the Championship title and automatic promotion this summer. According to the Daily Star, Liverpool are hoping to bring the Englishman to Anfield, but Chelsea are preparing to hijack any move they make.

The report claimed that the Reds are preparing a £20m offer for White, who has just returned to the south coast following the end of his loan deal with Leeds. However, with Chelsea having the luxury of money to splash, they are willing to counter any offer that Liverpool table for the defender.

Frank Lampard's side have identified their defence as an area of concern and are looking to strengthen their back-line ahead of next season. The report claimed that Chelsea are willing to sacrifice Antonio Rudiger in order to pave the way for White to join the ranks.

The Blues boss hasn't been confident in his defence this season and has made it a priority to target a new goalkeeper and several new defenders.

White has returned to parent club Brighton, who have stated that they want £40m in order to facilitate a move away from the Amex. With Liverpool seemingly struggling with their finances, they may be forced to bow out of the race.

Even with their initial offer of £20m, the Blues are set to immediately outbid the Premier League champions.

This crafty bit of business from Chelsea could cause another upset for Liverpool, who recently lost out to the Blues on major transfer target Timo Werner. After months of speculation surrounding an Anfield move, the German instead announced his transfer to west London in a shock turn of events.

It boils down to the fact that Chelsea are in a strong financial position after enduring a two-window transfer ban. Roman Abramovich has reportedly also permitted a £120m budget for Lampard to splurge, on top of the money already spent on Hakim Ziyech and Werner.

It could all end in tears for Liverpool as Chelsea lurk in the shadows waiting to continue their impressive summer window haul.

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