Leeds United's chase of Ben White is slowly but surely turning into an uphill battle they just can't possibly win. We do know Marcelo Bielsa is extremely interested in the player who contributed greatly to their push for Premier League football throughout 2019/20, but Brighton and Hove Albion are demanding extraordinary sums of money.

According to the latest report from The Telegraph, the Whites will have to pay upwards of £30m to even tempt the Seagulls into potentially negotiating a deal so Bielsa just might turn to some 'cheaper alternatives' instead.

The same source claims Leeds are eyeing Freiburg's defender Robin Koch, who could be both affordable and attainable for the former Championship side.

Koch only has a year left on his contract with the German side and that could significantly reduce their asking price. Telegraph also mention how the player was attracting some interest from Norwich City in January but now that he has made his Germany debut under Joachim Low, other bigger clubs are starting to take notice.

That's one more reason for Bielsa to act quickly before his plan B turns to dust as well. At the very moment, White is still their biggest wish but it's also looking increasingly likely he won't be making a switch to Elland Road this summer.

Not to mention that once he starts playing in the Premier League, his value can only go up even more.

Verdict

Even though losing out on White is bound to be a big blow to Leeds, it does feel like it would be better for them to look elsewhere for potential solutions. Koch would be a much cheaper alternative indeed and he does have the quality to still strengthen Bielsa's team.

But the clock is ticking and the Germany defender could very well attract other suitors pretty soon. Leeds have to act quickly on this one.