Aston Villa are now showing ‘concrete interest’ in bringing Denzel Dumfries to the Premier League with Serie A giants Inter Milan under pressure to sell this summer.
Unai Emery has always had a knack for getting the best out of his full-backs. Aleix Vidal and Benoit Tremoulinas played comfortably the best football of their careers as Sevilla won the Europa League in 2015.
Alfonso Pedraza and Pervis Estupinan were outstanding during Villarreal’s remarkable run to the Champions League semi-finals last season too.
And has there been a better left-back in England’s top flight over the last few weeks than Alex Moreno? The January signing who set up one of Ollie Watkins’ two goals during Saturday’s 3-0 thumping of top-four-chasing Newcastle United.
The prospect of Moreno flying down the flank on one side, with Dumfries doing the same on the other, should have mouths watering in the claret-and-blue part of Birmingham. Aston Villa, Tuttomercatoweb say, are in ‘contact’ with Netherlands international Dumfries.
Aston Villa could sign Denzel Dumfries from Inter Milan
After an impressive debut season at San Siro, Dumfries’ influence has waned of late.
“On Dumfries, I think he had an incredible decline,” Inter legend Graziano Bini said recently. “The Dutchman doesn’t seem like last year’s (player).”
Inter’s well-publicised financial issues means their Flying Dutchman could be sacrificed to the FFP gods; reports indicating that the former PSV Eindhoven captain is valued in the region of £35 million.
TMW add that Emery is looking to bring in serious competition for the right-back berth. Matty Cash has struggled with injury recently. And while Ashley Young remains a hugely popular, eternally reliable presence, he is also due to turn 38 this summer.
Dumfries is 12 years Young’s junior.
Like Moreno, Dumfries loves to drive to the byline and cut balls back rather than whip in crosses from deep. Since the start of last season, he has scored or assisted no fewer than 20 goals. And while Dumfries may be more comfortable as a wing-back, a coach as flexible as Emery could still get the best of him by utilising Boubacar Kamara – for instance – as a third centre-half during moments of build-up.
Inter, meanwhile, have already lined up a replacement. Talks with Club Brugge’s skilful Canadian Tajon Buchanan are underway.
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