Brighton defender Lewis Dunk in action. (Getty Images)
Back in May 2018, a report from the Daily Star had claimed that West Ham were interested in Brighton & Hove Albion centre-back Lewis Dunk. However, no deal materialised and Dunk stayed put at the Amex Stadium despite widespread speculation over his future.
Lewis Dunk rose through the youth ranks of Brighton and made his first-team debut for the Seagulls in League One back during the 2009-10 season. The academy graduate has since been a bonafide witness to the club’s journey through the divisions in English football.
He played a bit-part role as a youngster when Brighton secured promotion to the Championship in 2011 before featuring prominently in the Seagulls’ promotion-winning campaign in the second-tier in 2016-17. Dunk has since established himself as a quality centre-back in the Premier League over the past three seasons, making 115 top-flight appearances for his boyhood club.
West Ham have gone through radical changes since Dunk was last linked with a move to East London. Interestingly, though, David Moyes was in charge of the Hammers back then and the Scotsman is currently back at the helm after taking over the reins following the dismissal of Manuel Pellegrini last year.
The Hammers roped in Craig Dawson on a season-long loan deal from Watford before the domestic deadline. Dawson’s offers Moyes some additional cover at the back after West Ham conceded as many as 62 goals in the Premier League last season.
Dawson, however, can only be regarded as a temporary fix. The 30-year-old has ample PL experience under his belt but has suffered relegation from the top-flight twice in the past three seasons. That is certainly not the kind of profile West Ham should be looking at in a new signing.
To that end, West Ham should definitely make a renewed attempt to sign Lewis Dunk in January. The 28-year-old has been one of the best centre-backs outside the PL’s established big-six in recent years and was even linked with a move to Chelsea in the summer. Interest from an elite club clearly lies testament to his credentials as a competent defender in the top-flight.
Hence, it goes without saying that a potential deal for Dunk would surely add a lot of depth and quality to the Hammers’ backline. The 1-cap England international has plenty of top-flight experience under his belt and would offer Moyes a readymade solution to a long-standing issue.
With Angelo Ogbonna not getting any younger at 32 and Fabian Balbuena often struggling for consistency, West Ham should look at Dunk as a good long-term option. He still has several years remaining in his prime at 28.