Inter Milan defender Denzel Dumfries
Manchester United manager Erik ten Hag knows Denzel Dumfries ‘so well’ but no talks are currently taking place over any transfer to Old Trafford, Fabrizio Romano has told GiveMeSport.
The lowdown
Goal journalist James Robson reported earlier this month that the Inter Milan defender is a target for Ten Hag at United, as the new Red Devils manager wants to ‘address’ the right-back position in his first transfer window in charge of the club.
Aaron Wan-Bissaka has been linked with a return to Crystal Palace on loan, and while Ten Hag has apparently assured Diogo Dalot that the youngster have a chance to prove himself, he seemingly wants another option at his disposal.
It was only last summer that Inter paid £12.3m to sign Dumfries from PSV Eindhoven. Formerly of Heerenveen, the 26-year-old faced Ten Hag’s Ajax during his time in the Eredivisie.
The latest
Romano has said that Ten Hag is closely familiar with Dumfries but added that United have yet to step up their interest. He added that Inter could look to nearly triple their money on the Dutch defender, for whom they could seek somewhere between £30.2m and £34.5m.
The journalist stated: “Dumfries, he’s a player that Ten Hag knows so well, but at the same time, [it] is not something that at the moment is being negotiated between the clubs. For sure, Inter want €35million-€40million for Dumfries.”
The verdict
Dumfries actually operated as a right wing-back for the most part of last season, with Simone Inzaghi favouring a 3-5-2 system at Inter.
Ten Hag has shown a preference for a 4-3-3 shape so far as a manager, but clearly he believes that the 26-year-old could still thrive in a four-man defence.
Dumfries has been highly effective going forward, scoring five goals and providing seven assists in all competitions last season. Indeed, he ranks in the top three percentiles among positional peers in Europe’s top five leagues for goals, non-penalty xG, shots and touches in the attacking penalty area.
Labelled ‘outstanding’ by Italian football expert Mina Rzouki, the Netherlands international would be aiming to compete with the numbers posted by the likes of Trent Alexander-Arnold and Reece James.
About the Author
