Inter Milan sporting director Piero Ausilio has confirmed there was a release clause in the contract of Man City target Denzel Dumfries.
The Netherlands international was linked with a move to the Etihad, along with Barcelona, last month. When asked specifically about the interest from Barca, Ausilio replied:
“No, we did not receive anything from [Barcelona]. There has never been anything in it. I can confirm there is a release clause, which was introduced during a difficult moment, but in my view we did well to protect the club’s heritage.”
It is believed that Dumfries’ buyout clause was worth €25m (£21.6m) but it expired earlier this month.Dumfries was never a likely target
Although the Cityzens have been on the lookout for a new right-back since selling Kyle Walker to Burnley, signing the Inter wingback didn’t seem to be on the cards for a couple of reasons.
Firstly, Dumfries is 29 years of age so he would not have been a long-term replacement for Walker and, secondly, he specialises in playing as part of a back five, while City boss Pep Guardiola generally favours a back four.