We all know Chelsea's defence was atrocious this year. They posted a 30-year high in the goals conceded column and goalkeeper Kepa Arrizabalaga was only spared the blushes of becoming the club's worst-ever shot stopper by Frank Lampard, who dropped the struggling Spaniard and may well be ushering him towards the exit door.
Lampard, his backroom staff, the team and the fan base are all well aware of just how important it is to sort out the Blues' defensive woes this summer, but despite that pressure, Chelsea need to retain a calm head in the transfer market.
Despite boasting infamously tough negotiator Marina Granovskaia, Chelsea don't have a lot of power in discussions when it comes to signing a defender. Every other team knows the Blues have money to burn and they know just how severe their defensive struggles are.
It's that dynamic which has seen Brighton and Hove Albion's Lewis Dunk linked with a £40m move to the Bridge, although let's not pretend that half of that fee doesn't come from the fact he holds an English passport. Gotta get those homegrown players, am I right?
Dunk is the kind of player who would probably do a job for Chelsea, but at £40m, Lampard needs to steer well clear.
That's not to say that Chelsea shouldn't spend £40m on a centre-back. In fact, they absolutely should spend that sort of money, if not more, on a defensive stalwart who can have the kind of individual impact that Virgil van Dijk had at Liverpool.
Is 28-year-old Dunk, who only narrowly managed to lead his side out of a relegation battle, really the right candidate?
Now, there are obvious similarities between this rumour and Chelsea's acquisition of Gary Cahill in 2012. Then 26, Cahill was at the heart of a Bolton Wanderers side who were bottom of the table in January, but his leadership and power earned him a move to London.
Cahill's attributes made him perfect for Chelsea, and a lot of those qualities can be seen in Dunk as well. He's tall, powerful and knows how to marshal a defence. He'd actually be quite a smart signing for Lampard.
However, the key difference is cost. Cahill, who was two years younger, was signed for just £7m.
The transfer market in 2012 was obviously very different to the market in 2020. Eight years ago, Chelsea bought the young, in-demand Eden Hazard for £32m. Now, the young, in-demand Havertz could cost three times that.
By that logic, Dunk should - from Chelsea's perspective - be valued at no more than £21m, and that's at a stretch as he'll be 29 in November.
The Brighton captain is a solid defender who could do a decent job, but he is not the premier talent that Lampard needs and his price tag should reflect that. Brighton are well within their right to disagree, and if they do, then Chelsea should just move on. No biggie.
We're past the era of Chelsea throwing money around without thinking about things first. Lampard won't do that and Petr Čech will be just as reluctant to make a bad move when there are so many other positions which need investment.
If Dunk can be picked up for a reasonable price, then great. Go for it. He would improve the team. However, if the money isn't right, Chelsea must not be bullied into paying.
There are plenty of other fish in the sea.
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Source : 90min