Ben White: Five-year-old fan offers pocket money to make loan deal at Leeds permanent

If you're going to save up your pocket money, it might as well be for something special.

A new toy perhaps? The latest PlayStation or Xbox game? Or how about a footballer...

The answer was an easy one for five-year-old Leeds United fan Daniel Auton.

There was only one thing he was going to spend his hard-earned cash on - on-loan defender Ben White.

Writing to Brighton chief executive Paul Barber, Daniel asked "if at all possible" he would allow Championship leaders Leeds to "please please please buy Ben at the end of the season".

Daniel had done all the hard work, too.

"I have counted all my pennies in my piggy bank and I have £15.07 if this helps."

Unfortunately for Daniel though, his letter in return from Barber wasn't quite what he would have hoped for.

"It's very good of you to offer all of your money to help your club, and you clearly have a very good eye for exceptional young talent - perhaps scouting players could be your future job," Barber said.

"We have given your kind offer the serious consideration it deserves but I know our head coach, Graham Potter, and our technical director, Dan Ashworth, both consider Ben to be a very important part of our future plans so I'm afraid we are unable to sell Ben to Leeds United at this time."

There is some hope for Daniel, and all Whites fans, though.

Leeds owner Andrea Radrizzani soon tweeted: "We will top up your offer for Ben and go back to Mr Barber."