‘Advancing’ – Man Utd, Chelsea hunt for Serie A signing gets pivotal Fabrizio Romano update
Federico Dimarco (left) tussles with Denzel Dumfries as Italy play the Netherlands
Manchester United and Chelsea will have to act fast to sign Federico Dimarco as Inter are making progress in their contract talks with the left-back, according to trusted reporter Fabrizio Romano.
Both Man Utd and Newcastle were tipped to move for Dimarco in the summer. While the 25-year-old ended up staying at the San Siro, there has been growing speculation he could secure a move in the January transfer window.
On October 19, TEAMtalk confirmed that Man Utd are in the frame to sign Dimarco, with manager Erik ten Hag a big fan of his. However, it then emerged that Chelsea will rival Man Utd for his capture. On Wednesday, CaughtOffside stated that the Blues have made an ‘enquiry’ to sound out Dimarco’s availability.
Both Premier League giants have been impressed by Dimarco’s performances for club and country. The Milan-born star has registered one goal and four assists in 11 matches for Inter this term, while he has also featured prominently for Italy in the last two international breaks.
Man Utd and Chelsea could also do with adding a player of Dimarco’s versatility to their respective squads. While the 14-cap international generally plays at left-back, he can also operate as a centre-half or left midfielder if needed.
Romano has now provided the latest on Dimarco’s situation during an interview with CaughtOffside. It seems either Man Utd or Chelsea will have to submit a major bid in the coming weeks if they want to land Dimarco, as his discussions with Inter over a new contract are ‘advancing’.
“Despite a lot of links with top clubs, negotiations between Inter and Federico Dimarco over a new deal are now advancing,” the journalist revealed.
“Talks continue and are moving to the final stages, and I think this could be completed by the end of the year.”
Federico Dimarco in advanced contract talks with Inter
It seems Dimarco is open to extending his contract at Inter, with his current terms due to expire in June 2026. While the prospect of moving to the Premier League is exciting for most players, Dimarco appears settled with the Nerazzurri. He clearly feels he can meet his ambitions there.
Ten Hag has been searching for a new left-back in recent weeks amid injuries to Luke Shaw, Sergio Reguilon and Tyrell Malacia. At one point, all three of those players were out, which forced Ten Hag to use either Sofyan Amrabat or Victor Lindelof there.
Luckily for Man Utd, Reguilon recently returned to fitness, and he came off the bench during the dreadful 3-0 home defeat to rivals Manchester City. Reguilon will have to put in some impressive performances if he wants to convince Man Utd to make his loan switch permanent, as otherwise Ten Hag will be eyeing up alternative signings such as Dimarco.
Chelsea boss Mauricio Pochettino, meanwhile, can utilise Ben Chilwell, Marc Cucurella, Ian Maatsen and Levi Colwill on the left side of defence.
But it could still be argued that Chelsea need to improve the position in January, as Chilwell is out until December, Cucurella has yet to impress, Maatsen is likely to be sold and Colwill would prefer to operate in central defence.
These factors have seen Chelsea identify Dimarco as a potential signing, but Inter are working hard to prevent him from moving to England.
