Manchester City have been making waves so far during the summer transfer window as Pep Guardiola attempts to win back the Premier League title.
Indeed, no fewer than four players have moved to City, and there is scope for plenty more in the coming weeks.
Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola reacts
Kyle Walker has left, as has Kevin De Bruyne, with Guardiola streamlining his squad.
With the Englishman departing, City have targeted a swoop for a Serie A player who could add something extra to the right side of their defence.
Man City ready to close in on Serie A star
Tijjani Reijnders, Rayan Ait-Nouri and Rayan Cherki have all arrived at the Etihad ahead of the 2025/26 season. Despite City exiting the Club World Cup earlier than anticipated, the three players could be vital for the club next season.
Cherki
Now, according to reports in Spain, City could be set to close in on a deal to sign Inter Milan star Denzel Dumfries, with the Etihad side ready to accelerate their move for the rampaging talent.
He has a release clause worth £21.5m, as per the report, but this expires on July 15 and it looks as though Guardiola is keen to activate it before the deadline.
denzel-dumfries-inter-milan-club-world-cup
The right side of the defence is a position which needs to be strengthened massively and Dumfries could be an excellent signing.
He could turn out to be Guardiola’s very own Bryan Mbeumo, who has been heavily linked with a move to rivals Manchester United this summer.
Why Manchester City must sign Denzel Dumfries
United’s attack could look very different should they secure a deal for Mbeumo in the coming weeks.
Off the right flank last season, he registered 28 goal contributions in the Premier League – 20 goals and eight assists – proving he would be an excellent signing for Ruben Amorim.
Dumfries could turn out to be Guardiola’s own version of the Brentford forward. Despite not playing in quite such an advanced position, the Dutchman did record similar statistics to Mbeumo throughout last season, with FBref noting the pair to be similar players among wingers across Europe's top five leagues.
Indeed, according to FBref, the pair performed similarly when it came to shots per 90 (1.74 vs 2.08), shot-creating actions (2.53 vs 3.8) and goal-creating actions (0.18 vs 0.53) in their respective domestic leagues.
Denzel Dumfries' stats in Serie A last season
Goals
Assists
Big chances created
Total duels won per game
Tackles per game
Balls recovered per game
Via Sofascore
Both players are superb at bursting forward down the right flank in order to either get a shot away or to create chances in the final third, with Dumfries notably registering 17 goals and assists in all competitions last term as an advanced wing-back.
Journalist Alan Rzepa described Dumfries as a “monster” all the way back in 2021, but fast-forward four years, nothing has changed.
In Serie A last term, he scored seven goals and grabbed two assists. Given that City’s full-backs scored just eight goals between them all season, adding someone like Dumfries would be an excellent move.
For a fee of £21.5m, Guardiola could well be signing his very own Mbeumo-esque figure on the cheap. Someone capable of shining in the Premier League with his attacking talents on the right flank.
If it all works out, Dumfries might just quietly be the signing of the summer for City.
psg-champions-league Related
[Romano: "Agreement sealed" as Man City win race and sign 18 y/o ex-PSG gem](https://www.footballfancast.com/man-city-win-the-race-to-sign-psg-mahamadou-sangare/ "Romano: "Agreement sealed" as Man City win race and sign 18 y/o ex-PSG gem")
The paperwork has now been "signed" over a move to the Etihad.