One of the first signings that Real Madrid made at the beginning of the summer transfer window was agreeing a deal with Inter Milan to sign Denzel Dumfries.
Although the signing was not officially announced until after the Netherlands' World Cup campaign, he was one of Madrid's first bets for the new project.
Los Blancos had seen Dani Carvajal leave at the end of last season and needed a right-back for the vacant slot.
The club already had Trent Alexander-Arnold in that position, but the Englishman had endured a difficult first season in Spain.
Now, according to Mario Cortegana on the Athletic , the 30-year-old has a good chance of making Jose Mourinho's starting XI in the league opener despite being signed primarily to compete with Trent Alexander-Arnold.
Real Madrid moved quickly for Dumfries in July, activating his €20 million release clause at Inter.
The Netherlands international arrived with significant experience, having become a regular for the Netherlands and featured in two Champions League finals with Inter.
That pedigree is one of the main reasons Madrid viewed him as such an attractive addition.
Denzel Dumfries is likely to start against Espanyol. (Photo by David Balogh/Getty Images)
Dumfries can operate as both a traditional right-back and a wing-back, giving Mourinho a more physical and direct option on the flank compared to Alexander-Arnold.
The Portuguese coach is said to naturally prefer a player with Trent's technical profile but undecided on who his starting right back is .
Trent offers more in terms of playmaking, passing range and build-up from deeper areas, qualities Mourinho has already experimented with throughout pre-season.
However, that does not mean Dumfries will be limited to a secondary role.
The former Inter defender is expected to receive significant minutes, and his athleticism, defensive intensity and ability to attack the box could make him the better option in certain matches.
That appears to be the case heading into the Espanyol game.
One of the most interesting themes of Madrid's pre-season has been the competition on the right side of defence.
Dumfries will be Mourinho's starting right-back. (Photo by David Balogh/Getty Images)
Mourinho has alternated between Trent and Dumfries, and there have even been stretches where both played together, with Dumfries pushed further forward.
That flexibility means the battle is not necessarily about one player permanently replacing the other.
Instead, Mourinho could use both depending on the opponent and the game state, in a horses-for-courses formula.
Trent's ability to play in multiple positions, including midfield, also helps Dumfries' route to minutes at right-back.
More importantly, if Jose ever decided to move to a back-five system with wing-backs, the Dutchman would become a natural fit in that role.
The Espanyol game should provide the first meaningful indication of Mourinho's thinking and how he plans to use Dumfries.
It remains to be seen how Trent and Dumfries rotate for minutes throughout the course of the upcoming campaign.
