Liverpool could have an advantage in its pursuit of young Bournemouth defender Dean Huijsen due to the club’s Dutch contingent. The Reds are interested in signing a new center-back during the summer transfer window after being left light in the position on occasion this season.
Virgil van Dijk and Ibrahima Konate have been mainstays under Arne Slot, but Joe Gomez’s hamstring surgery and Slot’s seeming lack of trust in Jarell Quansah, who has started just one Premier League game since August, have left the club considering its options.
Huijsen has been earmarked as a top target after establishing himself as a key player for Bournemouth. The youngster only moved to the Vitality Stadium from Juventus last summer but has been a revelation for the Cherries, lining up in each of their last 21 Premier League games.
Huijsen is a Spain international having moved to Marbella when he was five years old, but he was in fact born in Amsterdam to Dutch parents, and considers his family to be Dutch.
Liverpool has a number of Dutchmen on its staff and in its playing squad, including Arne Slot, Virgil van Dijk, Cody Gakpo and Ryan Gravenberch, while Jeremie Frimpong has also been linked with a summer switch to Merseyside.
David Ornstein of The Athletic said that the Dutch feel to Liverpool’s squad could add to the club’s pull as he addressed the Reds’ transfer plans.
“We know that a left-back is on the agenda and Milos Kerkez is one of the players that they’ re looking at and they won’t be the only club,” Ornstein said. “Right-back will be interesting because they don’t necessarily have that as high a priority as left-back, but if and when Trent Alexander-Arnold departs you do see the Conor Bradley injury situation and think to yourself that maybe if there’s the opportunity to add depth there then they will.
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“And then there’s central defense and we know that they’re firm admirers of Dean Huijsen and that’s one they’re in a strong position on. The attraction of playing regularly alongside Virgil van Dijk and under a Dutch coach [in Slot]. Huijsen comes from a Dutch background even though he plays for Spain and it will be fascinating to see which way they go because there is actually a lot to do.”
Huijsen explained his decision to represent Spain instead of the Netherlands earlier this year, saying: “I feel Spanish, Spain is my home. If Spain doesn’t call me up, I will continue to be Spanish and if they don’t call me up in (the next) 20 years, I will continue to be Spanish. I don’t care.”
After making his senior debut for Spain in a Nations League game against the Netherlands during the March international break, he said: “Apparently it was meant to be that I got to make my debut for Spain against the Netherlands.”
