Brighton boss Graham Potter insists Ben White has not had his head turned by the latest transfer speculation linking him with a move away from the club.
White impressed during a loan spell with Leeds United last season, helping them win promotion to the Premier League.
Leeds wanted to sign him on a permanent basis but saw bids of £18.5million, £22m and £30m rejected by Brighton during the summer transfer window.
Since then, Liverpool have been linked with a move for the central defender ahead of the January transfer window, following long-term injuries to Virgil van Dijk and Joe Gomez.
Manchester United, Chelsea and Tottenham are also reported to be keen on the 23-year-old.
At his pre-match press conference ahead of Brighton's home game against Southampton on Monday, Potter was asked if White had been distracted by the transfer talk.
"He is a level-headed guy and he wants to play football at the very highest level," Potter replied.
"He gets down with his work. He was totally professional in the summer, despite the noise outside which you cannot control.
"He is a smart guy. We will try to help him enjoy his football as that is the most important thing."
White had only played twice for Brighton's first team before this season - two EFL Cup outings in 2016-17.
But he has made 11 appearances for the Seagulls in all competitions so far this term, most recently in the controversial 1-1 draw against Liverpool at the Amex Stadium last weekend.
Brighton are currently 16th in the Premier League table after collecting 10 points from their opening 10 league matches.
