Why Manchester City should make a move for Lewis Dunk in the summer

According to The Times (subscription required), Manchester City are interested in signing Brighton defender Lewis Dunk in the summer.

The Cityzens have been woeful defensively this season, even though they lie second in the table. They have leaked 29 goals in 25 games, already conceding six Premier League goals more than in the entirety of the 2018/19 campaign. Above all, Pep Guardiola’s side are a staggering 22 points behind league leaders Liverpool.

Former skipper Vincent Kompany left Manchester City at the end of last season and returned to Anderlecht. However, Pep Guardiola’s decision to not replace Kompany came back to haunt him this season.

Aymeric Laporte sustained a knee ligament injury after a nasty collision with Brighton defender Adam Webster in August. He was sidelined for five long months before returning to action in City’s 2-0 success over Sheffield United last month.

Fernandinho deputised in Laporte’s absence in central defence and did a solid job, but with the likes of John Stones and Nicolas Otamendi failing to deliver this season, Guardiola must prioritise signing a centre-back before the start of 2020/21 campaign. Having said that, City must definitely make a move for Lewis Dunk.

Dunk, 28, has been at Brighton his entire career apart from a loan spell at Bristol City in the 2013-14 season. He played in all 38 Premier League games during his club’s first season in the Premier League. The centre-back missed only two games last season and has played 24 games so far this season, scoring two goals and registering three assists in the process.

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Guardiola’s side are in desperate need of defensive reinforcements next season and a proven Premier League defender like Dunk could be a great option to add depth as he has experience as well.

Verdict

City have already paid the price for not replacing Kompany before the start of the season. Guardiola simply cannot repeat the mistake this summer and must look to secure Dunk’s signature.