Julian Nagelsmann may be about to make Everton rue Rafa Benitez turning down Denzel Dumfries last year, as the Bayern Munich boss now targets the Inter Milan star’s transfer.
That’s according to Calciomercato, who report the FCB boss is keen to take the Dutchman to Bavaria in the off-season. The full-back only joined the Nerazzurri last year, but no star is untouchable at the San Siro and big-name departures are possible with the Serie A side.
Simone Inzaghi welcomed Dumfries to Italy from PSV Eindhoven in a €15m (£12.5m) deal, worth just €12.5m (£10.5m) upfront. He arrived on the back of a strong Euro 2020 run to replace Achraf Hakimi, who joined Paris Saint-Germain for £60m after lifting the Scudetto.
Dumfries took his time to adapt to the demands of Serie A, but eventually found his feet to thrive. The 25-year-old has four goals and six assists in 36 games across all competitions. He is now an indisputable starter under Inzaghi, but Nagelsmann hopes to break the bond.
The defender’s rise in output has not gone amiss at the Allianz Arena, where Nagelsmann wants to sign a rival for Benjamin Pavard who will also offer more going forward than the Frenchman. He also does not feel the Bundesliga giant’s youth stars are up to the task yet.
Bayern may make Everton rue Benitez’s Dumfries snub as Nagelsmann eyes Inter ace
Nagelsmann luring Dumfries to Bayern Munich within a year of his transfer to Inter Milan will surely irritate Everton. The Athletic noted in October that former boss Benitez blocked then-director of football Marcel Brands from signing the right-back from PSV that summer.
Brands had pushed his compatriot’s profile as the Blues sought to sign Seamus Coleman’s long-term successor last summer. But Benitez did not share the Dutchman’s belief in the Rotterdam native, believing Dumfries would not offer enough defensively for his system.
In the end, the Blues targeted Nathan Patterson and ultimately signed the Rangers product in January for £16m, £12m upfront. But, despite impressing with Scotland, the 20-year-old has only featured for 45 minutes at Goodison Park with Frank Lampard now at the helm.
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