Chelsea will hold negotiations with Inter Milan for defender Denzel Dumfries next week amid talks over Romelu Lukaku.
That’s according to Corriere Dello Sport, Gazzetta Dello Sport and Sport Mediaset, who all state that the Blues are pushing for the Dutchman.
The two clubs are currently negotiating for Lukaku to return to Inter, and a conference call is planned to further that and discuss other transfer dealings.
A swap deal for Lukaku had been mooted, but Corriere say that is now off of the table, and any potential transfers will be separate affairs.
Chelsea have ‘identified’ Dumfries as an interesting player, and Thomas Tuchel is a fan, something Gazzetta back up, stating there are ‘especially’ interested in the full-back.
Sport Mediaset say the same, reporting that among the Inter players being talked about by Chelsea, Dumfries stands ‘above all’. In fact, they say he has become Tuchel’s ‘obsession’.
Inter Milan will allow the defender to leave for the right price and Corriere say the figure is €40m, but the other two put it significantly higher at €60m. Sport Mediaset do, however, say that a figure of €40-45m ‘would be heard’.
Discussions are ongoing, but there is an insistence any deal will not be a part of the negotiations for Lukaku and will instead be a separate operation.
