Jose Mourinho hopes to beat his former club Manchester United to the signing of Ben White by tempting the Brighton defender to Roma this summer, say reports.
The 23-year-old has impressed with the Seagulls this season and the Sun reports that his development has caught the eye of Mourinho.
The Portuguese, who was surprisingly named Roma boss earlier this month two weeks after being sacked by Tottenham, has asked his new employers to prioritise White’s arrival.
However, the Serie A side will face stiff competition for the centre-back, as Manchester United, Arsenal and Liverpool have already shown interest.
Brighton are likely to hold out for a big transfer fee and are expected to demand £45 million for his signature – a fee that could rule Roma out of the running.
PSG and Borussia Dortmund are among the other foreign clubs to have emerged as possible destinations for White, who impressed on loan at Leeds last season before returning to his parent club.
The defender, who has a contract until June 2024 with the south coast club, has made 33 Premier League appearances this season.
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