Newcastle United completing the summer signing of Inter Milan defender Denzel Dumfries would "take the team to the next level", according to BBC pundit Alan Hutton.
Will Denzel Dumfries leave Inter Milan?
The Dutchman has made 91 appearances to date since arriving at the San Siro back in 2021, and despite his contract not expiring for another two years, there’s a chance that he and some of his fellow teammates could be sold during the upcoming window as the Italian outfit look to resolve their financial crisis.
According to Gazzetta Dello Sport, PIF and Eddie Howe have recently submitted an official enquiry to discover what it would take to complete a deal for the 27-year-old right-back, with the boss also targeting a fresh face on the opposite flank, where it appears that the Magpies are closing in on a move for Arsenal’s Kieran Tierney having been given the green light by Mikel Arteta to make the switch to St. James’ Park.
Are Newcastle signing Dumfries?
Speaking to Football Insider, Hutton was asked whether he thought Dumfries was capable of taking Kieran Trippier's place in Howe's first-team should he put pen to paper at Newcastle in the Premier League, to which he replied:
“I think he is a brilliant football player. Already for such a young age, what he is achieving is up there. I think the next step for him is to go to the Premier League. Newcastle are definitely doing it in the right way. I think they are spending money and recruiting well, not just splashing the cash on anybody. They are in a situation that we did not see this early on."
“They have to go again and improve and Dumfries definitely gives you that. He definitely gives you the competition, so that would be a good battle moving forward and I think that is what they need to take the team to the next level. If they could get that over the line with Tierney possibly on the other side, I think they would have a really strong defence.”
Whether Dumfries would get into Newcastle’s starting XI ahead of Trippier remains to be seen, but regardless of if he’d be a regular or a back-up option, he’d be a fantastic alternative for Howe to have at his disposal having been dubbed a “monster” by journalist Alan Rzepa.
The World Cup participant is naturally much strong in the offensive aspect of his game and when bursting down the flank having clocked up seven assists and one goal in 31 Serie A games so far this season, but he’s still constantly looking to create moments of magic even if he’s not always on the scoresheet. As per FBRef, the £53k-per-week ace ranks in the 99th percentile for number of attacking touches in the opposition’s penalty area and the 93rd percentile for total shots, so is a real force to be reckoned with driving forward.
Finally, Dumfries has the flexibility to operate anywhere across the defence, including left-back, right-back, centre-back and even higher up in defensive and on the right side of the midfield, so would provide excellent cover should any unexpected injuries occur, therefore making this a no-brainer of a deal to for even if he doesn't dislodge Trippier.
