Bournemouth’s Dean Huijsen now appears to be in play to join Chelsea, who hope to conclude his signing before the start of the Club World Cup. The Blues are happy to trigger the £50 million release clause for the 19-year-old. They are now ahead of Premier League clubs Liverpool, Arsenal, and Newcastle United in the race for his services.
Real Madrid, with previously expressed interest, are not likely to play much part in the summer scramble for Huijsen. Some reports have claimed that Los Blancos are not particularly prepared to spend much this summer.
Huijsen was born in the Netherlands but now represents Spain at the national level, recently making his debut for La Roja. He appeared on the scene in England following his move from Juventus to Bournemouth last summer, and his performances have seen him emerge as a top young defender.
Chelsea are excited about Huijsen, who is a perfect fit for their youth-centric recruitment policy and could offer a long-term seven-year deal. Should the Blues finalize a deal shortly, Huijsen can be registered immediately for their Club World Cup campaign. This means he will settle into the squad even sooner.
Bournemouth, meanwhile, are anticipating summer transfers due to the increasing interest in their players. In addition to Huijsen, Antoine Semenyo and Milos Kerkez are also expected to leave. The Cherries are targeting over £150 million in player sales in their trading strategy.
Chelsea could consider summer move for Semenyo
Chelsea are planning a summer raid on Bournemouth, with further interest in Antoine Semenyo. The forward is valued anywhere around €40 million, which makes him a relatively economical option to bolster their attacking forces.
This is considering some of their other targets, like Borussia Dortmund’s Jamie Bynoe-Gittens. The winger’s valuation has been put at more than double Semenyo’s price tag.
Having scored eight and assisted four in 32 Premier League games, Semenyo has aided Bournemouth in climbing the Premier League table. Of course, Bournemouth are under no compulsion to sell. His contract runs until 2029, giving the club an excellent position from which to negotiate.
Any transfer is likely to see significant fees changing hands if Bournemouth does indeed agree to part with the 25-year-old.
