Chelsea are in pole position in the race to sign Brighton & Hove Albion star Lewis Dunk, who is expected to cost around £40 million.
According to The Sun, Chelsea are poised to complete a £40 million swoop for Lewis Dunk. The Brighton & Hove Albion defender is set to become the third marquee signing for the Blues this summer as Frank Lampard continues his spending spree, having already signed Hakim Ziyech and Timo Werner.
Tottenham Hotspur were also said to be interested in the services of Dunk. However, the defender being a lifelong Chelsea fan puts the west London giants in pole position to complete a deal.
Chelsea can also put a major blow to another league rivals with the signing of Dunk as his departure from Brighton & Hove Albion might force the Seagulls to retain the services of Ben White.
White, who is a Liverpool target, was one of the biggest finds in the Championship last season as he helped Leeds United gain promotion to the top flight. Dunk’s departure from the club could allow him to become a first-team member in the Brighton defence, alongside Adam Webster, thus robbing Liverpool from a potential deal.
Tottenham, meanwhile, are desperately looking for reinforcements in the defensive department, especially following the departure of Jan Vertonghen. The experienced Belgian has joined SL Benfica on a free transfer, after seeing out his contract at Spurs this past season.
Jose Mourinho also struggled with his existing defensive options including Davinson Sanchez and Eric Dier, both of whom have failed to provide consistency. But with Dunk likely to move to Stamford Bridge, the Portuguese mastermind will need to turn his attention elsewhere, it seems.
As for Chelsea, the potential addition of Dunk could serve as a breath of fresh air among the worried supporters, who have been criticising the club’s defence under Lampard.
Indeed, the Blues had notably conceded more goals than any other side in the top half of the Premier League table this past season. And if that wasn’t enough, their shortcomings were clearly highlighted in the 7-1 aggregate defeat to Bayern Munich in the UEFA Champions League Round of 16 phase.
Dunk’s arrival, in that regard, should provide Lampard with a reliable option alongside someone like Andreas Christensen or Antonio Rudiger. The Brighton man has a lot of experience at the highest level of football and should add some leadership qualities to the table – something Chelsea have lacked following the departure Gary Cahill.
