‘It’s an honour’ – Man Utd, Liverpool £50m target makes Real Madrid transfer admission

George Priestman
Dean Huijsen Bournemouth
Dean Huijsen Bournemouth

Liverpool and Manchester United target Dean Huijsen has opened up about his future amid growing speculation at Bournemouth.

Having earned rave reviews following his brilliant debut campaign in England, after moving from Juventus, he has top clubs lying in wait to sign him despite being just 19.

His performances have been one of the key cornerstones of Bournemouth’s success under Andoni Iraola this season and Huijsen has formed a strong partnership with Ukrainian defender Illia Zabarnyi, another strong signing from the club’s recent history.

Given his standout form, Huijsen has attracted attention from the elite clubs in Europe, including Liverpool and Man United, who have both been credited with an interest with one report claiming the transfer ‘battle has begun’.

Plus, with a supposed release clause of £50million, there will be a list of admirers eyeing up such a fee for what looks to be one of Europe’s best young defenders.

However, despite interest from England, the powerhouse of football in Europe could well swoop in and secure his signature; Real Madrid reportedly have the Spanish defender high on their list and his recent comments in an interview with Relevo hint at a love for Los Blancos.

“My idol is Sergio Ramos, he’s a reference. For me, he’s the best CB in history. He has everything, he’s a legend”, told Relevo. 
“It’s an honor when you hear about Real Madrid interest, I’m proud to have such a big club interested in me. It’s special for sure”.
According to a report in MARCA, Huijsen is said to be the ‘leading candidate’ but there are a number of other names on their list that include Ajax’s Jorrel Hato, Liverpool’s Ibrahima Konate, RB Leipzig’s Castello Lukeba, and Arsenal’s William Saliba.
With his position at Bournemouth, they believe a deal could be done more easily than any of their other targets and, despite initial contact between Madrid and the player’s camp not yielding immediate results, the club’s growing admiration for Huijsen has reignited their interest, and his recent international call-up at 19 further rubberstamped his credentials.

Interest from Premier League clubs

For United, there could be up to six departures this summer with free agents and wantaway figures finally moving on after years at the club. In a defensive aspect, Victor Lindelof looks set to depart which should open room at centre-back.
With Lisandro Martinez set to be out of action for an extended period, it would leave Leny Yoro, Harry Maguire and Matthijs de Ligt as their only options at the back, which could be an issue given Ruben Amorim’s fixation on a back three.
Youngster Ayden Heaven has looked promising but suffered an injury against Leicester City and is far from ready to lead their backline.
In terms of Liverpool, the latest on Virgil van Dijk’s future remains unknown as the Netherlands captain is still yet to agree a new deal.
That could be why they are in the market for a defender this summer and Huijsen hailed the Liverpool skipper as the best in the world in his interview. “There are some very good center-backs in the world, like Van Dijk, who I think is the best right now.”
The battle for Huijsen’s signature very much depends on Madrid who are eyeing up a defender for the future and present to play alongside Antonio Rudiger, David Alaba, Eder Militao and the rising Raul Asensio, having seen their backline decimated by injuries in recent times.

Manchester United Dean Huijsen

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