Aston Villa interested in Inter Milan’s Denzel Dumfries

Aston Villa manager Unai Emery is a fan of Inter Milan wing-back Denzel Dumfries and has urged his club to sign him, according to TuttoMercatoWeb.

The Villains have reportedly made contact with the Nerazzurri to sign the Dutchman. He will leave the club this summer and could be on his way to the Premier League.

Villa need a right-back, as their only current option is Matty Cash. They need someone to provide competition for the Poland international.

Emery has used veteran Ashley Young there due to the lack of another recognised right-back. He has made Dumfries a clear target to boost his squad.

The 26-year-old has bagged one goal and three assists in 27 Serie A appearances this season.

Villa will be encouraged by Dumfries’ experience in Europe. He has netted one goal in eight Champions League appearances for an Inter side with one leg in the semi-finals.

Dumfries is an athletic wing-back who uses his pace and incredible drive to arrive in advanced positions. He is also a solid defender.

Chelsea and Manchester United showed interest in Dumfries last summer, but a move never materialised.

The Blues have since signed Malo Gusto from Lyon to compete with Reece James at right-back.

Manchester United have shifted their attention to Bayer Leverkusen right-back Jeremie Frimpong.

Dumfries has been a regular for Inter since joining them two years ago from PSV Eindhoven. He replaced Achraf Hakimi, who moved to Ligue 1 champions Paris Saint-Germain.

He had an impressive 2021 European Championship campaign with the Netherlands and earned a big move because of his performances.

The former Sparta Rotterdam man has since won the Coppa Italia and Supercoppa Italia (twice).

It is unclear how much Inter will demand. Dumfries has a contract until 2025, giving Inter some leverage in the transfer.

They quoted around £45 million when Chelsea and Man Utd were interested, but Villa will try to reduce that price substantially.