Albion have warned Championship rivals eyeing up Lewis Dunk they have no chance of buying him.

The Seagulls want to build their defence around the 23-year-old centre-half.

They would only consider selling him to a Premier League club.

And there has been no concrete interest from the top flight, despite speculation earlier in the year linking Dunk with West Ham, West Brom and Everton.

Albion’s firm stance on Dunk’s future coincides with fresh reports about Fulham stepping up their interest with a bid.

The Seagulls have already rejected one offer from the Championship.

Derby have also been keen on Dunk, although it is unclear what impact Paul Clement replacing Steve McClaren as manager of the Rams will have on their interest.

Brighton-born Dunk recently became a dad and is settled on the South Coast.

He has attracted attention after an eyecatching season in which he top scored with seven goals, made 38 Championship starts and finished runner-up to Inigo Calderon as player-of-the-year.

Dunk is eager to see Albion improve the squad in the summer to give themselves a chance of challenging again.

Young Albion goalkeeper Christian Walton was an unused sub for England under-20s as they lost 2-1 to Mexico in the Toulon tournament yesterday.