Denzel Dumfries can reportedly be credited for helping improve new Chelsea signing Noni Madueke’s mentality.
According to the Evening Standard, Madueke’s mindset made great strides thanks to help from his former PSV Eindhoven teammate.
Stamford Bridge’s newest recruit and Dumfries were colleagues in Holland for three years before the latter joined Inter Milan in 2021.
They played together 31 times for the Dutch side, but never won any silverware together.
But the pair did forge a strong bond, one that included the Inter defender being tough on Chelsea’s January signing.
The Evening Standard claim that Madueke had ‘hard lessons dished out’ to him by Dumfries, that eventually strengthened his attitude towards the sport.
Dumfries and Tottenham Hotspur attacker Steven Bergwijn apparently ‘performed a good-cop, bad cop routine’ with the England international.
This caused Madueke to be ‘obsessed with “extras”’ and asking the personal football coach Isaksson-Hurst on holiday with him.
Noni Madueke brings strong mentality to Chelsea
Chelsea’s freshly acquired attacker is a much more confident and capable player thanks to the stern schoolings handed out by Dumfries and Bergwijn.
His development might go to another level if the South West London chain of command are serious in one of their reported transfer pursuits.
Todd Boehly and his team are said to be interested in signing Dumfries before the January window closes next week.
He is seen as a strong option to provide cover, or even potentially replace, Reece James, who’s injury concerns have led the club to locate alternative options.
With a possible £35m price tag on his shoulders, Dumfries could be a real steal this month, especially if it will help enhance Madueke further.