Chelsea have been linked with a move for the Inter Milan defender Denzel Dumfries.
According to a report from CaughtOffside, Chelsea will have to shell out a fee of around €40 million to sign Denzel Dumfries from Inter Milan at the end of the season.
Fabrizio Romano claims: “Premier League clubs are following Denzel Dumfries but Inter turned down all the approaches in January. In the summer the situation could change but they want at least €40m to sell Dumfries.”
The 26-year-old has been an instant hit since he moved to the Italian club and he has been highly impressive for his country in the recently concluded World Cup as well.
It is no surprise that top clubs like Chelsea are looking to secure his services given their lack of depth in the right-back position.
The Blues have Reece James as the only natural right back at the club and the England international’s persistent injury problems have forced Graham Potter to consider bringing in another option in that position.
Dumfries would add some much-needed quality and depth to the right-back position at Stamford bridge.
The Dutch international can operate as a right-back as well as a right-sided wingback. Potter has had to play players like Trevoh Chalobah, Ruben Loftus-Cheek and Cesar Azpilicueta on the right-hand side of his defence when James is injured and the arrival of Dumfries will certainly solve that problem for Chelsea.
The Blues will have a more natural replacement for James with the Dutchman at the club.
However, it will be interesting to see if Dumfries is prepared to join Chelsea as a squad player.
A player of his quality will want to play regularly and it remains to be seen whether Chelsea can provide him with first-team assurances.
James can operate as a centre-back as well and it wouldn’t be surprising to see Potter use both players in his starting lineup from time to time.
The reported €40m asking price could prove to be quite reasonable for an established international defender like Dumfries.
The Dutchman has the quality to settle in quickly and make an immediate impact at Stamford Bridge next season. He has the ability and the experience to justify the outlay in the long run.
