Aston Villa ‘in talks’ to sign £35m bargain but Man Utd have already ‘made contact’ over transfer

Aston Villa have reportedly made initial contacts in an attempt to sign Inter Milan star Denzel Dumfries in the summer transfer window. Unai Emery is said to be eager to sign a player in the right-back position, with Dumfries a player looked at as a priority option.

Manchester United are also very interested in signing the Dutchman, however, as Erik ten Hag is a huge fan of his fellow countryman. An effort was made to bring Dumfries to Old Trafford in January but a deal never came to fruition, though they could revisit this over the next few months.

Villa could soon move ahead in the race, though, as Italian outlet TuttoMercato reports that Emery “holds Dumfries in high regard” with contacts “already in progress” over a potential transfer. Inter’s financial troubles mean the defender may have to be offloaded for funds - and the Lions are willing to splash the cash.

Signing a new right-back is said to be seen as a necessity for the Villans, with Matty Cash and Ashley Young the current options. Both have impressed on the most part this season, but injury troubles have meant Emery has been close - at times - to having nobody of note available in the position.

Bringing in Dumfries would undoubtedly solve this problem, as the soon-to-be 27-year-old is a player of proven Champions League quality. Not only would he likely become a starter right away, but he would future-proof Villa as they look to play European football for years to come in an exciting new era.

Dumfries has played 83 times for Inter since signing from PSV Eindhoven in 2021, contributing seven goals and 13 assists in that period. He has also kept a decent disciplinary record, with just eight yellow cards for the Italian giants. His current market value is around £25-30 million, but Inter would likely ask for more.