Real Madrid’s £50million signing, Dean Huijsen – his story, his style and why Juventus let him go

Real Madrid have completed the first big move of the summer transfer window with the £50million signing of Dean Huijsen from Bournemouth.

The Athletic reported on Saturday that Huijsen, 20, will join the Spanish club on a deal through to 2030 and will be able to make his Madrid debut in next month’s newly-expanded Club World Cup.

The 20-year-old centre-back is one of the most exciting defensive prospects around and his move to the Santiago Bernabeu marks the highest point yet of a remarkably rapid rise.

Here’s what you need to know about a player whose value has more than tripled in the space of a year…

Who is Dean Huijsen?

Huijsen was born in Amsterdam, the Netherlands, in 2005, but moved with his family to Malaga in the south of Spain when he was five. He joined Malaga’s youth setup in 2015 but left in 2021 to join Juventus, aged 16. 

He represented the Netherlands at youth level, captaining the under-19s, but work put in behind the scenes by the Spanish Football Association and his upbringing in the country led to him switching allegiances last year. 

In early 2024, Huijsen gained Spanish citizenship and began to represent Spain’s under-21 side. In July 2024, he became a Bournemouth player, joining them in a €15m (£12.6m) move from Juventus, in addition to variable bonuses of up to €3m. Over 2024-2025, his first full campaign at senior level, he has been one of the team’s standout performers.

In March this year, he was called up to the Spain squad for the first time. “I feel Spanish, Spain is my home,” Huijsen told The Athletic in an exclusive interview at the time. Days later, he made an impressive debut for Spain against — you guessed it — the Netherlands in the Nations League quarter-finals.

Why is he so highly rated?

A progressive central defender comfortable playing with both feet, Huijsen has been central to Andoni Iraola’s attractive and effective style of play at Bournemouth.

His style is based on a unique blend of physicality and cultured in-possession play. He is as comfortable competing in tough defensive duels as he is striding into midfield with the ball at his feet. Add in an expansive passing range and the appeal is clear to see.

Huijsen rarely hesitates when the space opens up ahead, always looking for the chance to glide past the first line of pressure and into midfield. He has all the attributes of the archetypal modern-day centre-back. 

When Iraola was asked by The Bournemouth Echo about Huijsen’s best attributes earlier this season, he said: “His mentality, his head. He’s confident. He is not afraid of marking any forward and he’s calm on the ball.

“Sometimes he will make mistakes like all the others, but there is always a reason for the things he does. And for someone that is 19 (he turned 20 in April), it’s really strange to find this at this level.”

That same composure was on show when Huijsen made his Spain debut against the country of his birth. Despite being booed by the home crowd in the Netherlands, he put in a solid display in a 2-2 draw in the Nations League quarter-final first leg. In the return tie back in Spain, he was even more impressive, capping a commanding performance with an assist for Lamine Yamal in a 3-3 tie, before Luis de la Fuente’s side won 5-4 on penalties. 

“Dean is another great piece of news for Spanish football,” said manager De la Fuente in the post-match press conference. “It simply looks like he’s been at the elite level of football for many years.”

(Ryan Pierse/Getty Images)

It soon became clear Huijsen had many more admirers. The Athletic reported in April that Liverpool were among those with a firm interest in signing him, while Chelsea, Arsenal, Newcastle and Tottenham Hotspur were also in the mix.

But back in March, Huijsen also told The Athletic that Real Madrid legend Sergio Ramos was his idol, adding that he was “proud” about being linked with the Spanish club. Now, he is making the move to the Santiago Bernabeu.

How did Madrid’s move come about?

In recent months, sources close to Huijsen — who asked to remain anonymous to protect relationships — made clear he favoured a move to Real Madrid. In various interviews, including with The Athletic in March, Huijsen himself acknowledged “it is a source of pride that a club like this is interested in you”.

Madrid have long had him on their radar, but their interest strengthened this season — especially in the aftermath of a series of poor results in recent weeks. Los Blancos sped up talks after their 4-3 defeat to Barcelona on May 11, which effectively ended hopes of retaining their La Liga title this season.

After The Athletic reported Madrid had agreed to pay Bournemouth’s £50m release clause, the player’s camp travelled to the Spanish capital on Thursday to finalise personal terms. 

(Ryan Pierse/Getty Images)

It is a pivotal move for Madrid in the short and long term. With the exception of academy graduate Raul Asencio — who could face criminal proceedings for allegedly sharing a sex tape involving a minor — all of Madrid’s senior centre-backs are injured. Eder Militao is recovering from his second anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injury in two seasons, while Antonio Rudiger and David Alaba both underwent surgery on meniscus problems.

That is why it was key for the club to conclude the deal for Huijsen before the start of the revamped Club World Cup in the United States. Madrid are attaching great importance to the new-look tournament.

Beyond that, Madrid know they are signing a player they have been following for years with potential and a strong personality, plus a range of great qualities on the pitch.

So why did Juventus let him go?

Huijsen was one of the poster boys of Juventus’ renewed focus on youth. He was signed in 2021 with a view to him joining the Next Gen Under-23 team, which plays men’s football in Italy’s third tier.

The project, set in motion by Juventus’ former chief football officer Fabio Paratici and his staff, Federico Cherubini, Matteo Tognozzi, and Giovanni Manna, was a great success. Many players graduated to the first team — not just Huijsen, but also Kenan Yildiz, Matias Soule, Samuel Iling-Junior and Enzo Barrenechea.

Such was the esteem in which Huijsen was held, Juventus coach Max Allegri brought him on for his debut against Milan at San Siro in October 2023. The trust the coach showed in him was evident from the game state; 12 minutes remained and Juventus had to defend a 1–0 lead in the most intimidating stadium in Italy.

(Jonathan Moscrop/Getty Images)

A few months later, Roma signed Huijsen on loan for the rest of the season. Their coach at the time, Jose Mourinho, called him one of the hottest prospects in European football in his position. The sporting director who signed him for Roma, Tiago Pinto, moved to Bournemouth in the summer and stopped at nothing to take Huijsen with him. The deal he negotiated with Juventus was a masterstroke.

Juventus were in the process of overhauling their squad for new coach Thiago Motta. In order to finance a transfer spend in excess of €200million, Cristiano Giuntoli, Juventus’ head of football operations, sacrificed Soule, Iling-Junior, Barrenechea and Huijsen for pure profit.

That window has not aged well at all. Giuntoli only negotiated a 10 per cent share of the profit on Huijsen and criticism of his recruitment at Juventus is mounting. Fans are unimpressed that in the role Huijsen played, Lloyd Kelly now makes mistakes.

(Additional contributors: Pol Ballus, Mark Carey, Thom Harris)

(Top photo: Marcel van Dorst / EYE4images/NurPhoto via Getty Images)

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