Dean Huijsen was born in the Netherlands, but grew up in Spain and played for the youth teams of both countries. This season, the 1m95 tall guy is becoming a mainstay of Bournemouth and a discovery of the Premier League. Huijsen once rejected both Barca and Real Madrid to join Juventus, and Bournemouth also had to spend 15 million euros to get him.
Real Madrid is looking to the future by targeting Dean Huijsen. With injuries to key players in the defense like Eder Militao or David Alaba, adding a quality central defender is an urgent task for the Royal Spanish team. And Huijsen, who is not yet 20 years old but has made a strong impression in the Premier League, is a promising choice for Los Blancos.
Although still young, Huijsen has come a long way to maturity. He was born in Amsterdam (Netherlands), but came to Spain at a young age and took his first steps with football at Costa Unida. Malaga soon recognized Huijsen’s talent when he was just 10 years old, and he quickly caught the eye of Barca, Real Madrid and Juventus. In 2021, Juventus defeated two Spanish giants to own this precious gem. After that, they let him go to Roma on a loan contract, before selling him outright to Bournemouth.
Huijsen is highly appreciated for his ability to read the game, passing skills, launching attacks from the back line and composure. He has helped Bournemouth become one of the extremely annoying teams in the Premier League this season. And in early December, at 19 years and 235 days old, Huijsen also became the youngest player to score for Bournemouth in the Premier League when they unexpectedly beat Tottenham with a score of 1-0. Not only that, Huijsen also excited fans when he ran to the touchline and found a space to celebrate in the style of tucking his shirt into his pants and posing in a relaxing pose imitating the famous “Chill guy” meme.
Those performances did not escape Real Madrid’s eyes. But to get this player, Los Blancos will have to face many obstacles. Firstly, Huijsen’s contract runs until 2030, and Bournemouth do not want to lose their player on the cheap. Huijsen’s current market value is around 18 million euros, but Bournemouth’s asking price is between 30 and 40 million euros. This is not a small number, especially for a young talent who has only had one shining season in England’s top league.
Another problem is that it is difficult for Real Madrid to guarantee Huijsen a starting position like he has at Bournemouth. Is this young midfielder willing to sacrifice what he has and risk his entire career to join Real Madrid, even if he has to be a “best friend” on the bench? This will be an important factor affecting Huijsen’s decision, especially when he is “flying high” and happy at Bournemouth.
In addition, Real Madrid may have to spend more when this deal includes the participation of Man City, MU and Arsenal. All three Premier League teams are closely monitoring Huijsen’s situation and are ready to participate in the race to win this young midfielder’s signature. Compared to Arsenal, the issue of buying a new defender is an urgent goal for both MU and Man City. This gives Bournemouth an advantage in pushing prices and creates a big barrier for Real Madrid.