Dumfries is expected to shine at Real Madrid
Denzel Dumfries is set to join Real Madrid, with Inter goalkeeper Josep Martinez praising his ability and impact at the club.
Denzel Dumfries would be a perfect fit for Real Madrid, according to Inter goalkeeper Josep Martinez. Madrid are preparing to sign Dumfries, who has become one of Europe's top attacking full-backs during his time with Inter. Dumfries is currently playing with the Netherlands at the World Cup, and in fact, he had two assists in the Oranje's 5-1 win over Sweden on Saturday. The 30-year-old has recorded a total of 31 goal involvements for the Netherlands (11 goals, 20 assists) and has five goal contributions in seven appearances at the World Cup.
Martinez, Inter's reserve goalkeeper, thinks Dumfries will become a valuable signing in Madrid. "I think this is a great signing for Real Madrid. I think this is a great choice, although I am sad to see him leave us because he is a great player, the type of player you always want in the squad," Martinez told Marca. "He always gives his all on the field and will bring real strength to Real Madrid on the right wing, not only because of his strength, speed and breakthrough runs, but also because of his experience and leadership ability, as he is one of the team leaders at Inter.
"Real Madrid have made the right decision, and I wish you all the best, unless you play against us, if that happens." When asked about what Dumfries can bring, Martinez said: "Presence, energy and experience. He's ready to compete at the highest level from minute one." Dumfries mainly plays as a full-back at Inter, and there are questions about his defensive ability, but Martinez doesn't think that will be a problem. "He's done very well in that system in recent years, and I think it's the ideal system for him because of the constant running down the wing, but I don't think there will be any problems when he plays in a defensive line four-man defense, because he is an intelligent, versatile player and knows how to adapt to different situations," said Martinez.
"I'm sure [Jose] Mourinho already knows his role and will carry it out perfectly. He has proven it, both in Italy and in Europe. Last season we reached the Champions League final, eliminating the likes of Barcelona and Bayern Munich, and his defensive performance against top wingers was excellent.
"It's true that his main strength is attack, but he also has good defense and often wins many confrontations. What he's been asked to do lately, mainly is to push forward, but if he has to sit back a bit, he does that excellently as well." Dumfries played 207 matches for Inter, scoring 27 goals, providing 22 assists and creating 153 chances. During his time in Italy, Dumfries won two Serie A titles and three Coppa Italia titles. He also played an important role in Inter reaching the Champions League finals in 2023 and 2025.
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