Inter Milan have reportedly rejected Chelsea’s opening offer for Denzel Dumfries, with the Italians demanding €40 million for their defender.
According to Calciomercato, Chelsea have seen their offer for Netherlands right-back Denzel Dumfries get knocked back by Inter Milan, who want €40 million for their prized asset.
Dumfries joined Inter Milan only last summer, arriving from PSV Eindhoven as a replacement for Achraf Hakimi. However, the 26-year-old could be on the move just after a year at the Giuseppe Meazza as the Nerazzurri are in a difficult financial situation and need to generate funds from player sales.
Dumfries enjoyed a fine debut season in Italy, finishing with five goals and seven assists from 45 matches in all competitions. The defender made a massive impression with his attacking play and has, thus, attracted serious interest, especially from clubs in England. Manchester United and Chelsea have been linked the most with the Dutchman, with the latter now upping the ante.
Chelsea are in the market for reinforcements in the centre-back department as a priority. However, the Blues could also need a new right-back as Cesar Azpilicueta’s future at the club is far from certain. The Chelsea skipper is on Barcelona’s radar and wants to make the jump to Camp Nou.
If Azpilicueta were to depart, Chelsea would be left with Reece James as the only option for the right-back slot. Hence, the west London giants are pushing to sign Dumfries. The 26-year-old’s arrival would not only give Thomas Tuchel an extra body in the right-back position but would also open up the possibility of using James in a right-sided centre-back role like he did on occasions last season.
To that end, Chelsea recently made an enquiry for Dumfries and have now reportedly submitted an offer to Inter Milan to secure the 26-year-old’s services. However, as per the report, the Italian giants have swiftly rejected the bid tabled by the Premier League bigwigs as they continue to hold out for a sum of €40 million, a figure that Chelsea are yet to match.
So, it will be interesting to see if the Londoners return with an improved offer for Dumfries or decide to explore other options to strengthen their right-back unit.
