Report: Chelsea close in on £40m deal for Lewis Dunk 

Chelsea are said to be closing in on a £40m deal to sign centre-back Lewis Dunk from Premier League rivals Brighton & Hove Albion.

According to The Sun, Frank Lampard is keen on bringing the Brighton captain to Stamford Bridge. The Blues boss is determined to bolster his defence this summer after Chelsea conceded 54 Premier League goals in the 2019-20 season.

The report claims that Chelsea are set to face competition from former manager Jose Mourinho's Tottenham Hotspur in the race to sign Dunk this summer.

The same report also says that Dunk is a lifelong Chelsea fan and that he “believes” that he is on his way to becoming a Chelsea player soon.

Dunk has also laid bare a few times in the past that his idol growing up was Chelsea legend John Terry, who also captained the club to their only UEFA Champions League title so far.

Dunk has been Brighton since he was 10 years old. And in 2018, he became only the fourth player from the club to win a senior England cap.

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Declan Rice on Lampard's shortlist in addition to Lewis Dunk

Lewis Dunk could be on his way out of Brighton this summer

The report claims that apart from Dunk, Lampard has also shortlisted Declan Rice with a view to the two potentially forming a partnership at the heart of the Chelsea defence.

Rice, a product of the Chelsea academy, won't be let go by West Ham United on the cheap. Chelsea have reportedly been put off by the Hammers' £80m asking price, and have moved on to securing other targets.

Brighton, should they lose Dunk, don't really have to dive into the market for a replacement. Their impressive youngster Ben White was one of Leeds United's standout players last season as they secured promotion to the Premier League.

Should Dunk leave for Chelsea (or elsewhere) this summer, it could open the door for Brighton to guarantee White first-team football and keep him at the club for at least one more season.

Chelsea, on the other hand, are still looking for more reinforcements to their squad. Lampard is said to want a replacement for goalkeeper Kepa Arrizzabalaga on priority.

Chelsea are also said to be in talks with Bayern Leverkusen and Leicester City, with a view to pulling off the big-money signings of Kai Havertz and Ben Chilwell respectively.

Chelsea have already signed Hakim Ziyech and Timo Werner this summer, with the two attackers set to link up with the rest of the Blues' squad when they begin their pre-season training.