According to Gazzetta dello Sport, Chelsea will have to spend £52 million to sign Inter Milan defender Denzel Dumfries.
The Netherlands star was heavily linked with the London giants in the summer transfer window, but a formal bid was never made. It is now reported by Gazzetta that Inter are open to selling Dumfries next year as they look to recoup funds for new signings.
However, the Serie A outfit won’t let him go cheaply. They value him at £52 million and won’t negotiate on the price. Chelsea are reportedly one of the clubs that have made ‘soundings’ on the player, who is said to be very popular among Premier League sides.
Unlikely
Chelsea dearly missed the services of right wing-back Reece James after his long-term knee injury. They failed to win their last five league games before the World Cup break and have a huge job ahead to qualify for the Champions League through a top-four finish.
James should be fit for the restart in late December, but the question is whether he can stay injury free for the remainder of the campaign. In his absence, Chelsea tend to struggle for creativity from the right flank. Cesar Azpilicueta and Ruben Loftus-Cheek don’t offer the same threat.
Dumfries would be a good solution for their problems but Chelsea will need to spend big to land him. The £52 million fee is definitely not out of reach for the London giants, but the final decision could lie on manager Graham Potter and what he wants during the January window.
The club’s main concern appears in the attacking department, having scored just 17 goals in 14 league outings this season. A marquee winger or striker could be more beneficial over an expensive right wing-back, who could play second fiddle to James for the second half of the campaign.
