Keith Wyness swipes at Brighton chief’s broadcasting activity after Lewis Dunk offer accepted
Brighton were hoping to sell Lewis Dunk on deadline day to get the centre-back’s salary off the wage bill.
That is according to former Everton, Aston Villa and Aberdeen chief executive Keith Wyness, who exclusively told Football Insider that the Seagulls were financially planning for the future when they accepted the offer from Nottingham Forest.
The 34-year-old rejected a move to the City Ground and opted to stay at the AMEX Stadium last month.
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Brighton were preparing for the future with Lewis Dunk sale
Dunk has been a mainstay at Brighton for years, helping to drag the club from League One to the Premier League.
Therefore, when it was reported that the Seagulls were looking to sell the centre-back on deadline day, it was a shock to much of the fanbase.
The fact that Dunk turned down the move to Nottingham Forest only made the matter look worse, with it becoming clear that the captain had no desire to leave.
As a result, many have questioned why Brighton would even accept the offer in the first place.
Brighton accepting a bid for Lewis Dunk, without consulting him first, is utter madness.
— Charlie Haffenden (@JournoHaff) February 9, 2026
A true club legend, who has turned down huge offers to leave in the past, deserves so much more respect.
Deciding he deserves a go elsewhere? If you knew Dunk, he’d always say no. #BHAFC pic.twitter.com/Vr6SmcV4w6
Speaking on the new edition of Football Insider’s Inside Track podcast, Wyness said that the Seagulls must have gone down this route due to the financial benefits of a deal.
He said: “There was probably some financial planning because I think they wanted to get
Dunk’s wages off and get somebody in through that into that position in the squad.
“So yeah, look, nobody’s happy at Brighton right now, and the back of results, no club would be happy at the moment.
“They’re in no jeopardy of going down or anything like that. But still, there are some issues, and they’ll be working hard down there.
“Paul Barber is going to have to stop doing so many radio interviews now, and he’s going to have to get back into running the club on a day-to-day basis.”
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Is Dunk still capable of performing for Brighton?
Despite his age and the Seagull’s collapsing form, Dunk is still very much a capable centre-back at Brighton.
According to Fotmob on 21 February, he is averaging 4.45 recoveries, 0.94 blocked shots, 1.06 interceptions and 92.1 per cent passing accuracy per match in the Premier League.
| Lewis Dunk’s Premier League stats this season | Per 90 minutes |
| Recoveries | 4.450 |
| Blocked shots | 0.94 |
| Interceptions | 1.06 |
| Passing completion | 92.1% |
While much of his ability has clearly declined, he is clearly still a player capable of performing at the AMEX Stadium.
However, how long he will be able to keep this up is a different question. Nevertheless, given the Seagulls’ current form, Dunk’s experience is certainly something they should want to have around the dressing room at present.