TBR Football can exclusively confirm that Bournemouth’s plans to replace Dean Huijsen are in danger of being ruined by Liverpool.
Liverpool were pushing hard for Dean Huijsen at one point and, as TBR Football revealed, Bournemouth felt that former sporting chief Richard Hughes was the most likely to land him – had he stayed in England.
Now, Huijsen is set to leave the Premier League altogether, with Real Madrid swooping in for the Spain international.
Hughes could now throw a spanner in the works of his former club as they are also looking at a player that the Cherries are very keen on.
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Liverpool keen on Bournemouth target Nathan Zeze
TBR Football chief correspondent Graeme Bailey can confirm that Liverpool are now looking at Nantes star Nathan Zeze.
TBR Football actually revealed last year that Zeze was a player being watched by Liverpool, but in recent weeks he has emerged on Bournemouth’s radar.
Bournemouth sources have confirmed to TBR Football that Zeze is one of their options to come in – but we can confirm that he is also on Liverpool’s radar.
Liverpool, as it stands, want one central defender this summer, ideally a left-sided one – although that could become two depending on Ibrahima Konate’s situation.
We are told Liverpool are doing detailed work on half-a-dozen central defenders, and one of those is Zeze.
The 19-year-old, a French Under-21 international, has established himself as one of the top young defenders in Ligue 1 this season.
Who is Nathan Zeze?
Zeze is a French professional footballer who plays at centre-back for Ligue 1 club Nantes and represents France at Under-21 level.
The 19-year-old began his football journey at local side US Loire et Divatt before joining Nantes’ academy at Under-9 level.
Zeze rose through the ranks at Nantes and eventually broke into the first-team, making his senior debut in January 2023.
| Statistic | Per 90 | Percentile |
| Tackles | 2.33 | 94 |
| Interceptions | 1.36 | 79 |
| Blocks | 1.48 | 75 |
| Clearances | 7.05 | 95 |
| Aerials Won | 1.71 | 36 |
Zeze has made 34 appearances for Nantes – to whom he is contracted until 2028 – along with two caps for Les Espoirs.
The 6ft 3in defender is among the best in the business when it comes to tackles and clearances, and he is also very apt when it comes to interceptions and blocks.
Zeze has been compared to the likes of Pablo Mari and Jean-Clair Todibo, as per FBRef.
