Denzel Dumfries, who starred in Internazionale's Champions League win over Barcelona, was tracked by Everton before he moved to Italy
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Denzel Dumfries during the Champions League semi-final second leg between Internazionale and Barcelona on May 6, 2025
Denzel Dumfries during the Champions League semi-final second leg between Internazionale and Barcelona on May 6, 2025
(Image: Stefano Guidi/Getty Images)
While the rest of world football just watched in awe at one of the all-time classic matches, Evertonians could have been forgiven for feeling a wistful pang of what might have been as Internazionale reached the Champions League final by defeating Barcelona 4-3 after extra-time. After a 3-3 draw in the first leg at the Lluis Companys Olympic Stadium – Barca’s temporary home as the Camp Nou is renovated – a ding-dong battle at the Stadio Giuseppe Meazza saw the sides equal the record of most goals scored over two legs of a Champions League semi-final (13, in 2018, when Liverpool won 7-6 on aggregate against Roma).
Inter right-back Denzel Dumfries played a pivotal role in his side’s progression against the Catalan giants.
Having bagged a brace in the first leg with an acrobatic volley on 21 minutes and powerful header on 63 minutes, the Dutch international saved the Serie A outfit from elimination, by setting up Francesco Acerbi’s dramatic 93rd-minute equaliser to take the tie into extra time.
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A goal from Lautaro Martinez (21) and Hakan Calhanoglu’s strike from the penalty spot in the first-half stoppage time had put Inter 2-0 up at the break but efforts from Eric Garcia (54), Dani Olmo (60) and Raphinha (87) looked like securing an emphatic comeback to dump the hosts out of the competition.
However, with just seconds remaining and Inter counter attacking after Barcelona wonderkid Lamine Yamal had shot and struck the post down at the other end, rather than trying to take the ball to the corner, Dumfries surged forward.
The 29-year-old robbed Gerard Martin of possession and while his opponents were desperately claiming for a foul against the left-back, in truth Dumfries was just too powerful for the Spaniard as he then delivered an inch-perfect low cross into the box to the feet of centre-back turned emergency centre-forward Francesco Acerbi for what was the former Italy international’s first goal in European football at the age of 37.
Things could have been so different had Dumfries – who has become a stalwart at Inter, making 173 appearances and scoring 21 goals, including 10 in all competitions this season – moved to Everton instead in the summer of 2021.
With the Blues already trying to identify a long-term successor for long-serving club captain Seamus Coleman and the on-loan Djibril Sidibe having been sent back to Monaco the year before after a mediocre spell included a ‘highlight’ of being brought on as a substitute by Carlo Ancelotti only for the France World Cup winner to have forgotten to put one of his socks on, then Everton director of football Marcel Brands was keen on raiding his former club PSV for Dumfries, a player he knows very well having previously bringing him to Eindhoven.
This correspondent even ran an article in which Rik Elfrink, PSV watcher for Eindhovens Dagblad and AD Sportwereld in the Netherlands, declared that he felt Goodison Park would be the ideal destination for the player who had starred for the Dutch national team at the European Championships that summer.
Elfrink told the ECHO: “I believe that he’s a wing-back who would really fit well in the English system of football.
“It’s like he doesn’t get tired. It’s unbelievable sometimes. He has so much energy, you can’t imagine. He’s never injured.
“Last year he had the coronavirus so that was the one time he was out of the squad but that’s the only time. Physically, he’s a really top player, a power guy, a real strong player.
“The 2019/20 season was his best scoring season as he got eight goals for PSV in all competitions. He’s really dangerous when he breaks through on the right side.
“I think there are areas in which he can improve – like his passing – but I believe he brings a lot of other things to a team. His defending is not super top level I’d say but in the Dutch league there are not a lot of opponents who are his boss.”
However, Dumfries would join Inter for €12.5million (around £10.64m) on August 14, with Rafael Benitez instead splashing out even more (£11million plus add ons) the following January on Nathan Patterson from Rangers, shortly before he was sacked with Brands having already left the club.
The ECHO understands Everton lost out to Inter from a sporting and financial perspective as Benitez was not as enthusiastic as Brands and his scouting department with the Dutchman speaking about a potential deal several times with agent Mino Raiola.
Benitez also didn’t fancy a move for then Chelsea youngster Tino Livramento, who Ancelotti was very positive about, and has subsequently gone on to lift the Carabao Cup with Newcastle United and win an England cap.