Chelsea target Denzel Dumfries showed Chelsea exactly what they lacked with two assists and a goal in a stunning World Cup.
The full-back was in fine form for the Netherlands as he became USA’s worst nightmare with an unstoppable performance in a 3-1 win.
Dumfries scored twice on one plate for Memphis Depay and Daley Blind with low crosses from the right with pinpoint accuracy before being driven home.
The Dutch led 2-0 at the break thanks to good work from Dumfries, but were caught in the second half by a bizarre goal from Haji Wright.
However, any dreams of an American comeback were quickly dashed by Inter Milan’s Dumfries.
The full-back saw an opportunity in the 81st minute with space in the American penalty area, and after Blind found him with a cross, Dumfries came on to send an opening effort past Matt Turner.
After the match, Dutch coach Louis van Gaal was so delighted that he said: “I kissed Denzel Dumfries yesterday. And I’m going to give him another one, so everyone can see it!
Dumfries was unsurprisingly named Man of the Match for his performance, which came as no surprise to Chelsea scouts.
The Blues were heavily linked with the right-back during the summer transfer window, with The Athletic reporting that he and Wesly Fofana were the main defensive targets.
Fofana was eventually secured from Leicester for £75million, while Dumfries remained at Inter.
The Italian giants are still struggling financially and are trying to raise cash by selling centre-back Milan Skriniar to Paris Saint-Germain.
But given new Chelsea owner Todd Boehly has shown he’s more than happy to jump into the transfer market, Dumfries’ performances may have caught the eye ahead of the window reopening. transfer in January.
talkSPORT World Cup 2022 coverage
talkSPORT brings you comprehensive coverage of the 2022 World Cup.
We broadcast all 64 matches of the tournament live, with over 600 hours of coverage on our network.
You can tune into talkSPORT and talkSPORT 2 via our free online streaming service at talkSPORT.com.
talkSPORT is widely available across the UK via DAB digital radio and on 1089 or 1053 AM.
You can also download the talkSPORT app or ask your smart speaker to play talkSPORT.