Why Dean Huijsen Will Be One of the Hottest Commodities of the Summer Transfer Market | OneFootball

Dean Huijsen: Bournemouth’s Breakout Star Set for a Summer Battle

Bournemouth’s Late-Season Struggles

It has been a fairly disappointing end to the season for AFC Bournemouth. At one point, the Cherries looked set to challenge for their first-ever European qualification, but today, they sit eighth in the league table. Their hopes of securing intercontinental football are rapidly fading after a run that has seen them take just six points as from their last eight matches, in addition to losing to Manchester City in the FA Cup quarterfinal.

Pride Amidst Challenges for the Cherries

Bournemouth also have a challenging home stretch to deal with, going up against Manchester United, Arsenal, Aston Villa, Manchester City before closing out their campaign against Leicester City. But whilst they likely won’t be celebrating a maiden European finish, there are plenty of things to be proud of as a Bournemouth fan.

Evanilson has showcased plenty of composure and dynamism in the final third, helping to fill Dominic Solanke’s void as their attacking talisman, whilst Justin Kluivert, Antoine Semenyo and co. have helped to form a fearsome attacking quartet. Milos Kerkez has staked his claim as one of the finest left backs in England, whilst Ilia Zabarnyi and Dean Huijsen have combined for one of the stingiest central defensive duos on the island.

“They’re really really good, fantastic centre backs,” stated ex-Tottenham Hotspur defender Ramon Vega on Huijsen and Zabarnyi. “They’ve done extremely well, and I think Iraola, with very limited resources, has done very well.”

Photo: IMAGO

Dean Huijsen’s Journey to Bournemouth

As a result of their limited budget, Bournemouth have been forced to buy low and sell high and reinvest into their squad. The likes of Arnaut Danjuma, Aaron Ramsdale, Nathan Aké and Callum Wilson have all departed The Vitality for astronomic fees in recent years, and all signs point to Huijsen being their next big-money sale.

Born in Amsterdam, Huijsen moved to Spain at an early age and developed at Costa Unida CF de Marbella and Málaga before eventually making the move to Juventus’ academy in 2021. He did well enough to be promoted to Juve’s first-team, but he wasn’t quite able to lock down a place in Max Allegri’s set-up. The young defender joined Roma on loan in January 2024, where he worked alongside José Mourinho and Daniele De Rossi and polished his skills in Italy’s top-flight.

With first-team opportunities hard to come by, Huijsen made the move to Bournemouth in July 2024 for €15.2 million, rising to €18.2 million with add-ons. He had to bide his time on the bench at first, with Marcos Senesi and Zabarnyi locking down the starting central defensive pair. However, when Senesi got injured, Huijsen was brought into the fold, and he hasn’t disappointed so far.

A Star in the Making

The young Spaniard is a ball-playing center back who excels at driving the team forward with his mazy dribbles and incisive passes, and whose confidence and mental fortitude fits to perfection with Bournemouth manager Andoni Iraola’s style. Bournemouth’s high-intensity style seeks to swamp their opponent with aggressive pressing and diligent man-marking, and when the opposition does bypass them, they’re able to count on their center backs to step up and make a vital intervention.

Standing 6’5″, the 20-year-old defender has developed a penchant for his unyielding ability in aerial situations and his set-piece prowess, racking up goals against Tottenham and Manchester United. He has cut his teeth against the best teams in England and proven adroit with his exceptional reading of the game and timing of his tackles.

For example, in January’s 4-1 comeback win at St. James’ Park, Huijsen made four clearances (one off the line), won three out of three ground duels, and blocked four shots. Going up against a star-studded Newcastle attack of Alexander Isak, Anthony Gordon and Jacob Murphy, he remained unfazed, making three tackles and two interceptions whilst also completing three out of six ground duels.

His stellar displays have drawn praise from various Spanish pundits like Cristobal Soria and Josep Pedrerol, and they’ve also seen him earn his maiden Spain call-up. Going up against the Netherlands — who he rejected in order to play for Spain — Huijsen replaced Pau Cubarsí in the 41st minute of their 2-2 draw vs. the Netherlands. The following match, Huijsen started alongside Robin Le Normand in defense and even bagged an assist as Spain narrowly advanced to the UEFA Nations League Finals on penalties.

Big Clubs Circle as Huijsen’s Stock Soars

Huijsen leads Bournemouth’s squad with accurate passes per game in 41.3 (85% accuracy), whilst he also sits atop their roster for 4.1 accurate long balls per 90 in the Premier League. But he isn’t just a lovely passer, but someone who’s willing to do the dirty work and help his team ride out of the pressure — no Bournemouth player is averaging more clearances per game (5.9) or interceptions per game (1.8) than Huijsen.

It’s why, with a £50 million release clause, it’s seemingly only a matter of time before Huijsen departs Bournemouth this summer. Liverpool, Arsenal and Chelsea have all registered interest, whilst Real Madrid could join the race with Éder Militão struggling with injuries and Antonio Rüdiger and David Alaba on the wrong side of 30. One thing’s for sure — Dean Huijsen will be a wanted man this summer.