Leicester City are linked with Brighton & Hove Albion defender Lewis Dunk who is under contract at the Falmer Stadium until 2023.
Brendan Rodgers and co. are weighing up potential replacements for Harry Maguire, who seems likely to move amidst serious interest from the Manchester clubs, according to a report from The Sun.
The Foxes have identified Seagulls centre-back Dunk as a suitable replacement and Brighton have asked Leicester to come up with £40m for the 27-year-old.
In between, Burnley defender James Tarkowski has also made it to the transfer target list at the King Power Stadium, the report adds.
Dunk managed 38 appearances across all competitions in the recently concluded campaign and also featured in the FA Cup semi-final against Manchester City.
Dunk features in the back four for the Premier League club and can play as both right and left centre-back for his side.
The 27-year-old has spent almost all his career with the Seagulls apart from a brief one-month loan spell with Bristol City back in 2013.
The English International was also rewarded with a national team call up back in 2018 but has been ignored by England boss Gareth Southgate since.
The Brighton man stands at 6ft 3in and has been a nuisance for the opposition in the air, thanks to his supreme aerial ability which also helped him score 2 goals for his side.
He managed 3.3 successful aerial duels per game across all competitions last term which is an impressive number compared to other defenders in the English top-flight.
His tall stature and solid physicality along with his rigid nature in the defensive backline makes it difficult for the opposition players to beat him in duels both on the ground and in the air.
He averaged 1.2 tackles, 1.3 interceptions, 5.4 clearances and 1.1 blocks per 90 minutes last campaign which highlights his awareness and anticipation skills while guarding his goal.
The English centre-back isn’t a proficient passer of the ball but still boasts decent passing skills which help in building the play from the back. He averaged a pass success rate of 82.8% per game last season.
The addition of the Seagulls defender could be a fruitful one seeing Dunk’s Premier League proven status but the price quoted is not something which can be justified right now. And given the astronomical fee they are likely to receive if Maguire is sold, the Foxes will do better to look at other options to plan for the long-term under Brendan Rodgers.
Stat Courtesy: Whoscored, Transfermarkt
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