Real Madrid are close to completing a deal to sign in demand Bournemouth defender Dean Huijsen.
The 20-year-old is one of Europe’s most sought after players and high profile clubs including Chelsea, Arsenal, Bayern Munich and Liverpool have tried to court him after an impressive Premier League campaign.
The Spanish international has a £50million release clause in his contract and Real Madrid are believed to be willing to pay it.
Huijsen’s representatives are in the Spanish capital to seal the deal with Madrid, who will pay the £50m clause in three installments, according to Fabrizio Romano, while a five year contract is being discussed.
Up to five Premier League teams and clubs from LaLiga and the Bundesliga have had talks with his agents, but Madrid are believed to be the young defender’s priority.
Born in the Netherlands, he represented them at youth level, before switching to the European champions last year.
Madrid are close to completing a deal to sign in demand Bournemouth defender Dean Huijsen
The 20-year-old is one of Europe’s most sought-after players and Chelsea also want him
Huijsen could be one of Xabi Alonso’s first signings as Madrid boss when he takes charge
After joining Bournemouth from Juventus for £12m last summer, Huijsen was initially playing a back up role to Marcos Senesi and Illia Zabarnyi before getting his chance in the starting line-up and grabbing it with both hands.
He has played 34 times in all competitions this season and the Cherries appear resigned to losing their star defender this summer.
Bournemouth, meanwhile, have been busy looking for another defensive gem to potentially fill the void and have enquired about 6ft 3ins Nathan Zeze of Nantes, who has been capped by France at Under-21 level.
Madrid are looking for reinforcements after a disappointing season where they look set to lose the LaLiga title to Barcelona.
Carlo Ancelotti’s men also lost the Copa del Rey final to their Clasico rivals and were dumped out of the Champions League by Arsenal in the quarter-finals.
Huijsen could be one of Xabi Alonso’s first signings as Madrid boss when he takes over from Ancelotti at the end of the season.
Real are looking for reinforcements after a disappointing final season under Carlo Ancelotti
But his old youth coach Juan Gutierrez, who was at Malaga when Huijsen joined aged 10, warned him against a move to Los Blancos where his game time would dramatically decrease.
‘Dean is going to be a leader no matter where he goes, so I hope whoever signs him they play him as a starter, and he’s not a project for the future,’ Gutierrez said.
‘He is a player for now. There are very few like that at his age, which is why I don’t know to what extent it would be a good option to sign for Real.
‘No one can guarantee you’ll play because of your pretty face but if he leaves Bournemouth, it shouldn’t be to sit on the bench.
