Transfer insider Gianluca Di Marzio reports that Inter Milan expect Real Madrid to activate the release clause on Denzel Dumfries, the Dutch wing-back whose future at the club has been in question for months, with the clause fixed in the mid-€20m range and payable in a single instalment – a clean, non-negotiable exit route that Madrid are now fully prepared to use.

Di Marzio, one of Italian football’s most authoritative transfer sources, posted the update directly, signalling that the Dumfries saga has reached a decisive stage. The clause in his contract, which runs to June 2027, was always the mechanism most likely to settle the matter, and Madrid have clearly identified it as the most efficient path to completing the signing.

The Nerazzurri have known a departure was probable. Inter attempted to manage the situation by exploring a renewal that would strip out the clause entirely, but with Madrid now moving, that option appears to have closed.

Real Madrid Set To Bypass Negotiations As Inter Face Sub-€30m Exit For Key Asset

Indeed, the financial reality here is uncomfortable for Inter regardless of the broader logic. Dumfries arrived from PSV Eindhoven in 2021 for around €14–15m, so even a mid-€20m clause fee represents a meaningful capital gain – and one the Nerazzurri’s balance sheet genuinely needs. But for a player of his output and profile, the figure feels light.

Furthermore, the clause’s single-instalment structure removes Inter’s usual negotiating leverage entirely. There is no room to demand instalments be stretched, no sell-on percentage to negotiate in the moment, no counter-offer to table. Once Dumfries agrees personal terms with Madrid, the clause is triggered and the deal is done.

However, Liverpool had been circling with genuine intent, and Arne Slot’s interest in the Dutch wing-back was well-documented. Madrid’s acceleration appears to have caught the Reds flat-footed, with Los Blancos now in pole position to complete a deal before a Premier League challenge materialises.

Therefore, Inter’s immediate focus will shift to the market for a right wing-back replacement. The Dumfries fee, while modest for a first-choice player, provides working capital – and the Nerazzurri will need to move quickly to avoid beginning pre-season with a structural gap on the right flank.

For now, the expectation inside the club is that Madrid will proceed. The clause does the rest.