Hopes fading for Barcelona to land €25m-rated Dutch international due to lack of sales | OneFootball

According to an update from SPORT, Barcelona’s interest in signing Denzel Dumfries is close to being shelved due to financial limitations and lack of player sales.

The Dutch defender’s €25 million release clause expires in less than 48 hours, after which it will rise to €40 million on August 1, a price Barça are not in a position to match without freeing up significant space in their squad.

Jorge Mendes, who is handling the deal, had already communicated to the club that Dumfries was open to joining Barcelona and that Inter were also prepared to sell.

Both the sporting department and head coach Hansi Flick approved the move, seeing Dumfries as a physically dominant and pacey addition to the right flank. But without any major defensive departures, the deal has effectively stalled.

Transfer strategy stalled by inactivity in defence

Barcelona spent most of July securing key additions for Flick’s new project. After these moves, the club’s hands were tied, needing player exits to complete registrations and open up room for further additions.

Barcelona will miss out on Denzel Dumfries. (Photo by Marco Luzzani/Getty Images)

While Barça continue to believe they are overloaded in defence, finding a solution has been tough.

Hector Fort has been placed on the market, but with players like Ronald Araujo and Andreas Christensen refusing to leave, the room to manoeuvre remains minimal.

Could have be a fine addition

Dumfries’ profile ticked all the boxes for Flick. He offered strength, speed, and aerial presence down the right flank.

Yet, despite ticking all the right tactical boxes, the Dutchman looks set to remain out of reach due to the financial constraints at Camp Nou.

Unless Barcelona pull off a significant sale in the coming weeks, Dumfries will remain another “what could have been” in the club’s long list of transfer targets that never quite came to fruition.