Aston Villa have enjoyed a fruitful season under Unai Emery and remain in contention for a top-four finish in the Premier League.
The Villans have made some high-profile signings in recent years, with the likes of Philippe Coutinho having played in claret and blue.
More recently, we’ve seen the likes of Nicolo Zaniolo, Pau Torres and Moussa Diaby join Villa, helping them become a Champions League-chaser.
Now, the Villans are reportedly in pursuit of a player who has been deemed “one of the best right-backs in the world”.
The player in question is Inter Milan defender Denzel Dumfries, whose contract with the Serie A table-toppers ends in 2025.
According to Calciomercato, Villa have taken the ‘first steps with his entourage’ with a view to potentially signing him.
Even though an offer hasn’t yet been made, an attempt ‘cannot be ruled out’ in the coming weeks, added the report.
Should Villa finish in the Champions League places, this will obviously increase their budget and pull, but until they know where they stand, they can’t proceed with a bid.
Calciomercato have reported that Inter Milan would consider an offer if it is higher than €30million, or around £26million.
With regards to contract talks, the Nerazzurri have apparently offered €4million (£3.5million) per season, while Dumfries reportedly wants €5million (£4.3million) per season.
However, there is one stumbling block for Villa, namely that the 27-year-old apparently doesn’t consider the Villans to be at the same level as Inter in terms of reputation and ambition.