Bournemouth have resigned themselves to losing Dean Huijsen and have made a bid for Nantes wonderkid Nathan Zeze, according to French media.
The Cherries are trying to prevent a summer exodus after enjoying a successful season, but there is an acceptance that some players will simply have to be allowed to leave.
Arsenal, Chelsea and Liverpool are battling it out for his signature, and it looks as though his future will lie at Stamford Bridge. On Monday, it was claimed that the Blues had managed to secure buy-in from Huijsen after presenting their project and ‘outbidding’ Liverpool.
Whether this actually turns out to be true or not remains to be seen, but what is already abundantly clear is that Huijsen will leave Bournemouth in the upcoming window.
Bournemouth bid for Huijsen replacement
According to L’Equipe, Bournemouth are stepping up their succession planning for a post-Huijsen reality. To that end, the South Coast club have made contact with Ligue 1 side Nantes to express an interest in Nathan Zeze.
The 19-year-old is regarded as one of French football’s most promising up-and-coming defenders, with his left-footedness making him particularly attractive.
Bournemouth, it is claimed, have already made a verbal bid for a fee in the region of €20m. The Cherries have sought to get ahead of the competition with an early approach, but they could yet face big-name rivals in the chase for Zeze.
Nantes accept that they will not be able to keep the talented youngster despite the fact that his contract still runs until 2028. Due to the ongoing drama surrounding Ligue 1’s TV rights, many clubs will have to raise much-needed funds via player sales this summer.
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