With exactly a month remaining in the 2022 summer transfer window, it's showtime for Chelsea. It's a window that promised so much but, so far, has delivered not too much.
Granted, the Blues have completed – what look like – two very smart signings. Raheem Sterling arrived from Manchester City for around £55million (£45m plus £10m in add-ons), while Kalidou Koulibaly joined from Napoli for £33.8m.
However, three new central defenders were the target for Chelsea going into the summer window, knowing they would lose both Antonio Rudiger and Andreas Christensen on free transfers. Chelsea are currently locked in talks with Leicester City over the possible signing of Wesley Fofana, but nothing is advanced on that front just yet.
READ MORE: Denzel Dumfries transfer plan made as Chelsea eye next two summer signings with £51m swoop
Cover at wing-back has always been on the agenda, as well. Marcos Alonso still looks set to leave Chelsea this summer, with Barcelona remaining interested in the Spaniard. Meanwhile, the La Liga outfit also wants club captain Cesar Azpilicueta.
Reece James' 2021/22 season was riddled with injuries, meaning Azpilicueta had to fill in at right wing-back on numerous occasions. Ben Chilwell spent the majority of the second half of the campaign out with a serious knee problem.
Back-up on either side – or at least one side – is definitely needed. Marc Cucurella has been of interest to Chelsea for a while now, and some reports are suggesting a move for him could be back on the table after talks over a switch to Manchester City recently broke down.
On the right-hand side, Denzel Dumfries looks like the man Chelsea wants. The Netherlands international only signed for Inter Milan less than 12 months ago in a £12m deal from PSV Eindhoven after impressing at the Euros.
Dumfries made 33 appearances in the Serie A for Inter in his debut season in Italy – scoring five goals and providing as many assists to his teammates. However, there's a thought that Inter needs to sell to buy this summer, and Dumfries could be offloaded to raise some funds.
According to Italian news outlet Calciomercato, Inter are open to selling the 26-year-old for €40m (£33.6m) this summer. Dumfries, who has also played as a centre-back before, could offer Chelsea some much-needed versatility in their defensive line.
Gary Neville, however, is clearly not a huge fan of Dumfries. Speaking after watching him in action for Holland against England back in 2019, the former Manchester United right-back claimed Dumfries was unable to defend on the day.
Neville said on Sky Sports: "He's not a defender at all. From the first minute, everything has looked off."
What Dumfries signing could mean for James
James is Chelsea's first-choice at right-wing-back. Every time he plays, he continues to surprise supporters with his brilliance both in attacking situations and when forced to defend.
The 22-year-old Cobham graduate featured 39 times for Chelsea in all competitions last term and scored six goals while providing 10 assists. His delivery from the right-hand side is usually pinpoint.
He has, though, also been used as a right centre-back under Thomas Tuchel and impressed when doing so. There's an argument whether playing him so deep restricts his ability to move forward with the ball and help his side in attacking phases.
If Dumfries is signed, there may be a temptation for Tuchel to drop James into a back-three. As mentioned above, Dumfries can also play as a right centre-back, but he is far better in attacking circumstances.
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