Bournemouth defender Dean Huijsen has agreed personal terms with Real Madrid on a five-year contract.
The Athletic reported on Thursday that Madrid had activated the release clause in the defender’s contract and were finalising a deal to bring him to the Bernabeu with the plan to pay the £50million (€59.4m; $64.8m) fee across three instalments.
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The 20-year-old is one of Europe’s most in-demand young players after impressing for Andoni Iraola’s side this season and has now agreed to join the Spanish club on a deal through to 2030.
Madrid, who want Huijsen available to play in the Club World Cup, which begins next month, have jumped in ahead of several European clubs in their pursuit of the defender.
Chelsea have previously enquired about the availability of the centre-back while fellow Premier League clubs Arsenal, Tottenham Hotspur, Liverpool and Newcastle United have also held interest.
Huijsen joined Bournemouth on a six-year deal in the summer of 2024 for a fee of €15million (£12.6m) from Juventus. He made only one senior appearance for the Serie A club and was loaned out to Roma, but he has taken well to the Premier League this season and impressed with his passing ability.
On the international stage, the Amsterdam-born Huijsen played for the Netherlands at youth level before switching to Spain, who he has represented twice.
Madrid have faced a defensive crisis this season with serious injuries to Dani Carvajal, Eder Militao, David Alaba and Antonio Rudiger.
Madrid’s Club World Cup begins on June 18 against Saudi Arabian club Al Hilal while they will also play Pachuca and RB Salzburg in the group stage.
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