LONDON, ENGLAND - MAY 03: Dean Huijsen of AFC Bournemouth celebrates winning the Premier League match between Arsenal FC and AFC Bournemouth at Emirates Stadium on May 03, 2025 in London, England. (Photo by Visionhaus/Getty Images)
Real Madrid are closing in on the signing of Bournemouth standout Dean Huijsen. SkySports reported that the player’s representative are scheduled to arrive in Madrid on Thursday to finalize the deal after talks between the two clubs progressed earlier in the week.
Negotiations over deal structure and personal terms are set to be discussed further.
Huijsen has a £50m release clause and is also on the radar of a host of Premier League clubs. Arsenal, Liverpool, Newcastle, and Chelsea have all showed interest in the player but are yet to approach Bournemouth with an official offer.
They have asked to be kept informed on the player’s situation, but as of now only Madrid have surfaced with concrete intent.
The deal is reportedly not sealed just yet and other interested parties could attempt a last minute swoop. Time is of the essence though and the player is understood to favour Madrid. It would be a bit of a homecoming for the 20 year old who albeit was born in the Netherlands, grew up in Spain and spent time in the youth academy of Malaga.
He is rumoured to have supported Los Blancos as a kid, and while there has been no official confirmation of that, Madrid’s progress indicates that the player has given his green light.
Madrid leading the pack for Huijsen
Huijsen has announced his name on the world stage this season. His move to Bournemouth from Juventus last summer flew under the radar with the player having only made one appearance for Juve and 13 for Roma during a loan spell.
Then 19, Huijsen arrived for a modest £12m and was seen as a prospect or long term buy. A year later and his asking price has more than quadrupled and it is easy to see why.
The towering 6 ft 5 centre half is physically imposing, winning duals regularly and crunching into tackles. His height makes him an aerial threat on set pieces on both sides of the ball.
His reading of the game is exceptional, intercepting passes and snuffing out danger for his side. In fact only Gabriel of Arsenal averages more interceptions than Huijsen in the Premier League. Remarkably, the part of Huijsens’s game that stands out the most is his technical ability on the ball.
A modern centre half, Huijsen has a fantastic passing range and ability. He excels at long diagonal balls to his wingers to get his side away in transition.
He can ping a ball across the floor as well, breaking the lines to find the feet of his midfielders. Bournemouth has benefitted from Huijsen leading their line.
He is strong with both feet and can also carry the ball out of danger if need be, and his rising stock has earned him a call up to the Spain national team camp this year.
Huijsen is now one Europe’s hottest prospects. Madrid lead the line of a host of suitors said to include clubs from as as many as 6 different leagues.
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