After being held up in the long process of trying to sign Jules Kounde, Chelsea have swiftly turned their attentions towards a player they were keen on buying earlier in the window.
Chelsea appear unlikely to continue pushing for the Sevilla defender after Barcelona continued to stall their attempts to buy Kounde and growing frustration from Thomas Tuchel has seen the Blues act fast to find an alternative. It isn't just the next name on the list though, as Chelsea have returned to a player they have already held talks with this summer.
With first choice options having been shut down for Nathan Ake, Matthijs De Ligt and Kounde, new names have already appeared for Chelsea, with quick decisions made on Presnel Kimpembe before they were too late to enter talks for Nordi Mukiele. That has seen them since turn to Inter Milan centre-back Milan Skriniar, though that will be a hard deal to pull off.
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Chelsea aren't yet done with their attempts to buy Inter defenders though, as Dutchman Denzel Dumfries has been 'sounded out' as a possible option for Tuchel. The 26-year-old was part of Chelsea's negotiations to take Romelu Lukaku back to Italy, as was Skriniar.
The interest in both players didn't end with Lukaku's loan though, as Chelsea have now gone back to Inter to enquire about Dumfries, according to reports. Milan still need to sell players to stabilise their financial position and they will sell for the right price, with Dumfries expected to be valued at around €40m (£34m).
This is not only cheaper than Kounde, the versatile full-back is a more natural wide player than Kounde, so could offer Reece James a chance to slot in at centre-back, something that Tuchel is still keen to explore. With Dujon Sterling expected to leave the club on loan again and Tuchel still desperate to bring in extra defenders, Dumfries could be a smart addition, though he offers little as a centre-back option.
The Blues previously chased Achraf Hakimi last summer before he chose Milan himself and now, with Cesar Azpilicueta also a potential departure, Tuchel could be light on right-sided reinforcements.
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