Chelsea make Denzel Dumfries “top priority”

Chelsea’s “top priority” for bolstering their quality at right-back has “always been” Denzel Dumfries of Inter Milan.

What’s the word?

That is according to the ever-reliable transfer guru that is Fabrizio Romano, via GIVEMESPORT.

It was previously claimed that Thomas Tuchel wanted to add extra cover and increase competition for the position that Reece James occupies.

And now, Romano has issued that the Netherlands international is at the top of Tuchel’s wish list.

Speaking to GMS, the Italian super-journalist said:

“Yes, he’s one of the players that they have in the list. The top priority has always been Denzel Dumfries, who is doing great with Inter.

“He scored a key goal during the weekend and Inter manager Inzaghi was pretty clear in repeating that he really wants the player to stay to be part of the project and the same for Milan Skriniar. So, I think it is not going to be an easy negotiation.”

The 26-year-old has three years remaining on his contract at Inter, with the club looking for a fee between €35 million (£29.5m) and €40m (£34m) in order to sanction a deal for Dumfries.

A huge update

The claim from Romano serves as a huge update and transfer development for the club.

Although it is said that a deal will be difficult to negotiate, if Chelsea want the 35-cap Netherlands international bad enough, they will most certainly part with the maximum suggested fee of £34million to seal the deal.

In Tuchel’s progressive back-three system, there is room for both James and Dumfries to play, in what would make for a tactically innovating and bold move which would see James feature as an overlapping right centre-back and Dumfries as a right wing-back.

Through the means of this approach, they would be able to rotate and ultimately double up against opposition both in and out of possession.

“Decisive and untouchable” – as dubbed by Calciomercato on Twitter – Dumfries certainly has the metrics to prove he could thrive in that role for Chelsea, having managed an average of 2.47 shot-creating actions per 90 despite having just 48.72 touches per game.

Through playing in this way for Inter, he managed nine attacking returns last season across 33 Serie A appearances, in the form of five goals and four assists.

With his efficiency in creating a threat with very limited time on the ball, one could only imagine how dangerous he could be under Tuchel’s tutelage.