After winning the title in the 2020/21 season, Inter lost two of its star players in Romelu Lukaku and Achraf Hakimi. The former has returned to the Premier League and will wear the colours of Chelsea again, while the Moroccan international has joined the PSG Galacticos project.
As a team who plays in a 3-5-2 tactical formation, the wingbacks are of utmost importance in this system as they are the only wide players in the team, which is why replacing Hakimi was one of the Nerazzurri’s priorities this summer.
Add to that the fact that Inter prefer to build their play down the right hand side, at least that was the case last season, and having a right-footed wing-back who resembles Hakimi in terms of playing style and characteristics greatly increases their chances of defending the title.
A replacement has been found in the form of 25-year-old Dutch wing-back Denzel Dumfries, who has joined the reigning Serie A champions on a 5-year deal. The transfer fee is said to be around €14 million, including add-ons.
In this analysis, we take a closer look at Inter’s latest signing and discuss whether Dumfries is a sufficient replacement for the departed Hakimi.
Denzel Dumfries Player Overview
Born on April 18, 1996 in Rotterdam, Netherlands, Dumfries began his senior career in 2014 at Sparta Rotterdam, where he spent three full seasons, making 72 appearances and scoring 2 goals in all competitions.
Of the three seasons he spent at Sparta, Dumfries only played the final season in the Eredivisie. The following year, the Dutch wing-back secured a move to a more established Eredivisie club, Heerenveen, where he continued to put in solid performances and was soon spotted by one of the giants of Dutch football, PSV Eindhoven.
Following his move to PSV in the summer of 2018, the Aruba defender transformed himself into an attack-focused full-back. In his three seasons at PSV, Dumfries scored 16 goals in all competitions, 7 of which came in the 2019/20 Eredivisie season. The 25-year-old also featured in Euro 2020, scoring two goals in games against Ukraine and Austria.
Denzel Dumfries Player Profile
Denzel Dumfries is a 25-year-old Dutch full-back / wing-back who has just signed for Serie A side Inter. Standing at 189cm tall and weighing in at 80kg, the Nerazzurri’s new right wing-back is extremely active down the right hand side, constantly charging up and down the pitch – the style we all got used to seeing Hakimi play for Inter last season. In the heat map below, we can see clear evidence of his aggressive and attacking-minded style of play, with some of his runs even ending deep in the opposition penalty area.
Another similarity between Inter’s latest signing and Hakimi is that he maintains this wide position and rarely moves into the central zones inside his defensive half, except when tracking his runner or covering for the right center-back, suggesting his role as an out-and-out wing-back. When receiving the ball, Dumfries is often positioned higher than the opposite wing-back, indicating he is more involved in the team’s build-up play. Furthermore, when the ball is on the other side of the pitch, the Dutchman moves into extremely high areas of the pitch, playing almost like a natural winger, often attacking in and around the penalty box.
Dumfries’ attacking output is arguably his greatest asset, as evidenced by key statistical metrics. Last season, the Dutch international recorded 6 assists, averaged 1.4 key passes per game and set up 10 big chances for his teammates. Additionally, with his offensive drive and positioning in advanced areas, it is also not uncommon for him to take a shot on goal. For a wing-back, his shooting accuracy is somewhat impressive, with 37.5% of his shots hitting the target last season.
When looking at the defensive aspect of his game, Dumfries utilizes his strength, pace and athleticism to dispossess opposing attackers. Due to his pace and athletic frame, he is able to quickly close down and block off the passing lanes, subsequently increasing his chances of successfully dispossessing the opposition player. Last season, he won an average of 55% of his total duels and averaged 1.6 interceptions per game.
Nonetheless, with each strength there is usually a weakness, and Dumfries is no exception. The main flaw in his game comes as a consequence of his attacking style of play that often sees him positioned high in the opposing half. This means that the team is left with two options: either Dumfries has to track back quickly to prevent the opposition from creating an overload on that side, or the right-sided center-back or midfielder has to shift across to cover the vacated space. With such an attacking profile from Dumfries, there is a danger to be caught off guard in transition.
Conclusion
All in all, Dumfries seems to be a good replacement for the departed Hakimi, as the newly signed Dutch wing-back possesses many similarities with the current PSG full-back. His playing characteristics and statistical output in attack are the main reasons why Inter were after him, and to the delight of the Nerazzurri fans, Hakimi’s absence might not be as bad as reported by many football experts.
The only problem could be with his defensive abilities in transition, which is a big factor for a team as defensively strong as Inter. The 25-year-old will need to work on his defensive transitions, which may be a deciding factor in whether the Dutchman will receive the full trust of Simone Inzaghi. Should he succeed, there is little doubt that Dumfries will be the perfect replacement for Hakimi.