Manchester United and Chelsea have received a boost in their respective hunts to sign Denzel Dumfries amid reports Inter Milan have begun looking for his replacement.
Many clubs will have been keeping tabs on Dumfries’ performances for the Netherlands at the recent Qatar World Cup. And his top displays at right wing-back will only have heightened their interest in snapping him up.
Dumfries played in every game as his nation reached the quarter-finals, where they lost to eventual winners Argentina on penalties.
The defender’s best performance came against the USA in the last 16. He registered a goal and two assists as the Netherlands swept Gregg Berhalter’s team aside in a 3-1 victory.
Dumfries has proven time and time again he can make an impact on the big stage, whether it be with Inter or the Netherlands. And a huge transfer could be beckoning for the wide man in 2023.
Man Utd, Chelsea and Tottenham are all keen on signing him. And they all need a new right-back, too.
Man Utd look set to offload Aaron Wan-Bissaka in January, and his most likely next destination is a return to Crystal Palace. Erik ten Hag appears desperate to make Dumfries Wan-Bissaka’s replacement, so he can compete with Diogo Dalot for a starting spot.
Chelsea will lose Cesar Azpilicueta in the near future. There have been rumours Reece James could move to right centre-back. So if a right wing-back spot becomes available, the Blues could swoop in and sign Dumfries to fill it.
Chelsea, Spurs pose threat to Man Utd for signing
Then there is Tottenham. Their right-back problems have been well documented. Antonio Conte is not convinced by Emerson Royal, Matt Doherty or Djed Spence. Dumfries would be a top-class solution to Conte’s headache on the right flank
Recently, Chelsea were named as the frontrunners to snare Dumfries from Inter. Man Utd and Spurs will likely rival them all the way, though.
There has now been a major update on the 26-year-old’s future. With Inter aware of the growing interest in Dumfries, they are having to look at potential replacements for him. And according to Football Italia, who cite Gazzetta dello Sport, the Serie A giants have landed on Noussair Mazraoui.
He was linked with Arsenal and Leeds after announcing his desire to leave Ajax earlier this year. Ultimately it was Bayern Munich who won the race for him, signing him on a free transfer.
Now, Mazraoui has become a target for Inter. They feel he is a full-back with enough attacking threat to replace Dumfries’ goal contributions.
Bayern will make a good profit on Mazraoui if Inter come calling. After all, they signed him on a free and his transfer value is at a high following his role in Morocco’s World Cup semi-final run.
And Bayern will be able to point to his contract at the Allianz Arena, which runs until summer 2026, when negotiating a transfer fee for the 25-year-old.
Inter setting their sights on Mazraoui is great news for the English clubs trying to sign Dumfries. It means Inter are coming to terms with the fact they might have to sell their player.
It is unknown how much Inter will demand for Dumfries, but previous reports have put his value at £51m.
This price could rise though if all of Man Utd, Chelsea and Spurs enter bids for him.
The future is certainly bright for Dumfries as he may soon have the chance to shine in the most glamorous club division of all.