Aston Villa are reportedly interested in picking up Inter full back Denzel Dumfries this summer, so where would the Dutchman fit in Unai Emery’s squad?
The 28-year-old only has 12 months left on his contract with the Nerazzurri and the club are open to selling him for the right price in the coming months, wanting around €30m for the former PSV man. The player is hoping for a salary of around €5m net per season.
Aston Villa sporting director Monchi has already been in contact with Dumfries’ representatives Wasserman to learn the margins and conditions of a possible deal this summer and things could progress in the coming weeks, with the transfer market fast approaching.
Following the success of the Villans under Emery this season, why are the club targeting the Inter full back?
Where Dumfries could fit in Aston Villa
In the 2023-24 season, Aston Villa mostly played a four-man defence in a handful of formations like a 4-2-3-1 and a 4-4-2, but on occasion tried either a three-man or five-man backline, all of which would be suited to Dumfries.
Emery essentially always used either Ezri Konsa or Matty Cash on the right side of his defence, two players who were already in the squad prior to his arrival in November 2022.
After qualifying for the Champions League, Aston Villa are keen to bolster their squad and build off the momentum of this season, prompting them to start targeting a number of interesting reinforcements including Dumfries.
The Dutchman has featured as a right wing back in Simone Inzaghi’s 3-5-2 system, confident with the ball at his feet and willing to burst down the wing. He’s played a similar role for the Oranje, although has also worked in a four-man backline in the past, able to better reflect his defensive abilities.
He is adept at progressing the ball quickly up the pitch and is happy to contribute in the final third, either by laying off crosses to the centre or getting on the end of passes on the edge of the penalty area.
With his time at Inter coming to an end, Dumfries would likely be a strong fit for Emery’s Aston Villa squad heading into the 2024-25 campaign, having enough quality to displace Matty Cash in the starting line-up whilst allowing Konsa to return to a more central role.