Aston Villa 'in contact' with Serie A winner, Wolves set for signing as medical booked

Aston Villa are plotting an ambitious move to sign Denzel Dumfries from Italian champions Inter Milan, according to reports. Italian outlet Calciomercato claim the 28-year-old is high on Villa’s transfer wishlist as Unai Emery aims to enhance the elite experience within his squad as they prepare to compete in the Champions League for the first time since 1983.

Dumfries has long been regarded as one of the finest right backs in European football and he is seen by Emery as the ideal upgrade for Matty Cash heading into the new season.

The 52-time Dutch international arrived at the San Siro in 2021 after an impressive three year spell at PSV. Since making the move to Italy he has been lauded for both his defensive assets and his ability to bomb forward and create chances from the right wing back position.

During his time at Inter he has won two Italian Cups, reached the 2022 Champions League final and most recently lifted the Serie A title. Dumfries has been a stalwart in the Inter Milan squad for all of the last three seasons, but faces an uncertain future heading into the summer as he approaches the final year of his contract. 

Calciomercato claim that Villa’s scouting team see this as the perfect opportunity to launch and opening bid but adds that the West Midlands side are likely to face opposition from Premier League rivals Manchester United.

Wolves set for second signing as medical booked

Earlier this week at BirminghamWorld we confirmed that Wolves were in the running to sign Portuguese prodigy Rodrigo Gomes - and BBC Sport now understands that the Old Guard have agreed a £12.7m deal to sign the winger.

Gomes is expected to sign a five-year contract at Molineux which runs until the summer of 2029. Making him the team’s second signing after Tommy Doyle’s loan deal was made permanent.

The 20-year-old Braga academy graduate impressed last term during a loan spell at Estoril and registered an impressive seven goals and seven assists during his 30 top-flight appearances while both as a winger and a wing back on the outskirts of Lisbon.

The youngster has also flourished in Portugal’s youth teams and has registered an impressive three goals in his last six appearances at U21 level. His form had attracted attention from Spanish giants Atletico Madrid and Premier League outfit Bournemouth, but it is Gary O’Neil’s side that have acted the fastest and the move should be completed later this week following a medical.

The youngster joins Portuguese stars such as Jose Sa, Pedro Neto, Toti Gomes and Nelson Semedo who could all help him settle into his new surroundings in the West Midlands.