Virgil van Dijk is a Dutch superstar (Photo by Dean Mouhtaropoulos/Getty Images)
According to Gazzetta dello Sport (h/t Football.London), Inter Milan will demand a fee of around £50m if they are to let go of Chelsea target and Netherlands international Denzel Dumfries.
The Blues are in the market for a backup right-back/right wing-back because of the worry around the injuries young Reece James is picking in the last year or so.
While Inter are quoting that fee in a bid to ward off interest from clubs, they are open to a sale due to the financial situation of the Nerazzurri.
A few days ago, Football.London reported that there might be a bidding war between Chelsea and Tottenham Hotspur to sign the Dutch international, who is currently playing the World Cup in Qatar. He has been linked with Everton and Manchester United in the past, but a move hasn’t materialised.
When Romelu Lukaku was loaned back to Inter in the summer, the Blues did ask for a permanent player-plus-cash swap deal which included Dumfries coming to west London. But, it did not go through as well.
The former PSV Eindhoven player, who arrived at San Siro in August 2021, has a contract with Inter until the summer of 2025 (Transfermarkt). The length of the contract remaining is probably the reason why the Italian side can quote a higher fee.
Dumfries is a versatile player who can play either as a right wing-back, a right-back and a right-sided centre-back in a back three. Although in the last year or so, he has been picked chiefly to play as the former for club and country.
The 26-year-old has seven goals and 10 assists in 65 appearances in all competitions for Inter since the start of last season. He is someone who does not think twice about going forward and impacting the game in the opposition’s half. At the back, he is solid and reads the game well.
If we are to find a replacement or a backup for James, Dumfries fits the bill perfectly. His versatility would also allow Potter to play both him and James on the same side – one as a right-sided centre-back and the other as a marauding wing-back.
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