Achraf Hakimi Tells Man City Why £21.5m Right-Back Target Is a 'Great Player' Amid Transfer Talks
With Kyle Walker gone and Tino Livramento too expensive, Man City turn to Inter Milan’s Denzel Dumfries – and Achraf Hakimi’s glowing praise could help seal the deal.
Manchester City may have just received a big thumbs up from one of the world’s best right-backs in their hunt for a new defender.
With Kyle Walker making a surprise move to Burnley, Pep Guardiola is left with few natural right-backs in his squad. Rico Lewis is the closest option, but even he prefers playing in midfield. Matheus Nunes, originally signed as a midfielder, was used at right-back last season and seems to be Guardiola’s temporary solution for now.
But City are looking for a permanent fix — and they might have just found it.
Tino Livramento has been their top target this summer, but Newcastle United have made it clear he won’t come cheap. Reports suggest the Magpies would only consider letting him go for around £80 million, a figure City are unwilling to meet.
So now, their attention has turned to Denzel Dumfries of Inter Milan.
The Dutch international, known for his powerful runs and strong defensive skills, is available for a much more reasonable £21.5 million — his release clause that is active until mid-July. And one of Dumfries’ former teammates, Achraf Hakimi, has already given his approval.
Hakimi, who played with Dumfries at Inter Milan and is now regarded as the best right-back in the world, spoke to Sky Sports back in May and praised Dumfries highly. “He’s a great player,” Hakimi said. “One thing I like about him is that he’s very good in the air while I’m nothing.”
That’s high praise from a player who plays regularly for Paris Saint-Germain and has been compared to legends of the game.
Hakimi also added that playing in a back five at Inter made it easier to score goals, something Dumfries has taken advantage of. Both players have 11 goals to their name in recent seasons, although Hakimi has more assists. Still, Dumfries has produced those numbers in a team that doesn’t attack as much as PSG.
City are reportedly in talks with Inter Milan, exploring the chance to bring Dumfries to the Etihad. If a deal is done before his release clause expires, it could be one of the smartest buys of the summer.
With Hakimi already calling Dumfries a “great player” and Pep Guardiola needing a reliable full-back more than ever, the stars might be aligning for this transfer to go through.
