ALVISE CAGNAZZO: Denzel Dumfries the perfect fit for Potter's Chelsea
ALVISE CAGNAZZO: Chelsea are eyeing another move for £36m-rated Inter Milan wing-back Denzel Dumfries… the Dutchman’s energy and technical ability would add another dimension to the Blues’ attack, and make him the perfect fit for Graham Potter’s side
- Inter Milan look likely to sell Denzel Dumfries to ease their financial problems
- Chelsea want to sign the £36m-rated defender, and are set to approach him
- The Blues were also interested in Dumfries in the summer transfer window
- Dumfries is an attacking full-back who has great energy and technical ability
- Sportsmail’s Alvise Cagnazzo believes he would be the ideal fit at Chelsea
Inter Milan wing-back Denzel Dumfries is back on the market as the Italian side look to balance their books, and new Chelsea boss Graham Potter is interested in bringing him to Stamford Bridge.
According to Corriere dello Sport, the Dutchman can leave Inter as early as January after being close to leaving Serie A in the summer following numerous offers.
Inter have no plans to sell the 26-year-old in January but the club’s economic problems and Dumfries’ desire to play for the Blues and join the “adopted Italian” Kalidou Koulibaly could facilitate a move.
Denzel Dumfries could be set for a move to Chelsea in the winter transfer window
During the winter window, Potter will make a substantial bid for the full-back in an effort to bring a player that he greatly admires to the Premier League.
As reported by Corriere dello Sport, the terms have already been laid out. Chelsea will try to close the deal under similar conditions to last summer: a six-month loan rather than a 12-month loan, with an obligation to buy next June.
The final decision will be linked to the performance of Dumfries during the World Cup in Qatar and could lead to an additional bonus on the price of around €40m (£36m) requested by Inter and their sporting director Giuseppe Marotta.
Chelsea are aware of Inter’s problems and will try to exploit this situation to get priority over all other teams targeting Dumfries.
Dumfries to Chelsea: The right man in the right place
Dumfries is now one of the best full-backs in Europe despite Inter’s poor start to the season.
English football is much faster than Italian football but Dumfries is one of the best athletes Inter have at their disposal.
At the age of 26, the former PSV star can finally aspire to play at a club with international appeal, having been aware of the problems that have been affecting the financial situation of Inter and President Steven Zhang for the last two years.
Dumfries has more experience than Marc Cucurella and will be significantly cheaper – welcome news to the new owners of Chelsea who have understood how Serie A offers many excellent players with affordable price-tags.
Dumfries would be significantly cheaper than fellow wing-back Marc Cucurella
Dumfries would suit Graham Potter’s style, and would fit in well at Stamford Bridge
The feeling is that English football could take Dumfries to the next level, and the presence of Potter could finally bring the full-back, who Chelsea have been chasing for two years, to west London.
Dumfries is an attacking full-back, allowing his side to have one more man in the final third, but he can be caught out defensively.
Chelsea must be aware that Dumfries has never had great success when used as a classic full-back, but when used higher up the pitch his Serie A career has taken off, with Simone Inzaghi freeing him from his defensive obligations.
Dumfries suits a 3-5-2 formation
Dutch winger can also play as a full-back in a four-man defence, but is the perfect man for a 3-5-2 formation, a tactical system that is used both at Inter and by the Netherlands.
Potter would have a specialist box-to-box winger on his hands with great aerobic capacity and technical ability if he can bring Dumfries to Chelsea.
The new Chelsea boss is famous for his unconventional methods on and off the pitch and under his guidance, Dumfries will be able to improve further by working in tandem with fellow attacking wing-back Cucurella on the opposite flank.
Dumfries’ energy and technical ability make him a threat in the final third of the pitch
Selling Dumfries would be a serious blow for Inter
Dumfries was a great signing by Marotta who spent just under €20m (£18m) to replace Achraf Hakimi by bringing the PSV wide man to Italy. After a difficult start in Serie A, Dumfries has made the right wing-back spot his own at Inter.
The Dutchman has been a starter in the last eight Nerazzurri matches and Inzaghi will try in every way to persuade Inter and the player not to give in to pressure from Chelsea, but this mission already appears impossible.
‘The interest of the big names? It flatters me, but I only think of Inter. My focus now is only on Inter’, Dumfries told Dutch newspaper De Telegraaf recently. These words demonstrate the respect the player has for Inter, but they still don’t rule out a winter exit.
Dumfries has become an increasingly important player for Inter Milan boss Simone Inzaghi
Since Ivan Perisic’s move to Tottenham, Dumfries has become even more important to Inter
After Ivan Perisic’s summer departure to Tottenham, Dumfries has become Inzaghi’s favourite player because he plays the role of a modern wing-back perfectly, and his intensity never dips in matches.
His energy is remarkable, and allows him to offer solutions on the counter-attack, a very precious quality in Serie A.
Inter have lost three of their opening seven Serie A matches, and choosing to sell Dumfries in January would create a further problem as it will be difficult for Inzaghi to find a suitable replacement.
With this in mind, it cannot be excluded that the sale of the Dutch star could open a diplomatic rift between the coach and the club’s hierarchy.
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