Bournemouth’s market value winner
©IMAGO
Dean Huijsen (19) was born in Amsterdam in 2005, grew up in Spain, became a professional in Italy and a newcomer to the AFC Bournemouth. At the age of 19, the great market value winner of the youngest Premier League update debut is the debut for the selection of Spain-against the Netherlands. “I’m Spaniard. I feel Spanish, and as soon as the opportunity arose, I took it,” Huijsen told “Relevo”.
From 2021 to 2023, the 1.97 meter large central defender for Oranjes U17, U18 and U19. It only started for Spain’s U21 from March 2024. “In the beginning I didn’t have a Spanish passport, and when the possibility of an Express fun arose, I decided to do so.” Huijsen, who has had a comet climb in the past 14 months, is one of three teenagers in the squad of coach Luis de la Fuente.
“There are younger players, lamine, but also Pau Cubarsí. I am proud to be in the A-team. Lamine showed us that age doesn’t matter, and we have to take advantage of that now,” said Huijsen, who is one of the three most valuable U21 interiors in the world after leaving 18 million to 42 million euros. Cubarsí has already played five international matches with 18 and Lamine Yamal is about the 18th mission for the European champion at the age of 17.
Huijsen waves the debut because numerous Spanish defenders are plagued by injuries: Dani Vivian (25, Bilbao), Aymeric Laporte (30, al-Nassr) and Iñigo Martínez (33, Barça) had to cancel.
The fact that Huijsen made it into the Spanish national team at the age of 19 is also due to the fact that at the age of 16 he decided to leave the youth of FC Málaga and join Juventus Turin. At that time, the old lady paid 470,000 euros. “It took me a long time to make the decision, it was difficult, but I think it was the best for everyone.” Huijsen wanted to bring his defense game to Juve and later at the Roma to the next level.
“The reason why I went to Italy was that I wanted to improve on the defensive, I wanted to be more complete. In Spain I improved my ball control, and in England the intensity with which they play there. I learned a lot through the high pace and one-on-one game.” Huijsen took two years and four months to climb Juves U17 into the professional team, which included it from November 2023. In January 2024, to collect game practice, he was awarded to AS Rome, where he only trained under José Mourinho for a good week.
“I learned a lot about the competition that he teaches you. I learned a lot on the defensive, although I was only briefly with him. I would have liked to have spent more time with him. I also got on very well with de Rossi, he was like a second father for me. In Italy, the defensive aspect is very important,” said Huijsen. After 602 minutes in 14 games for the Roma, Bournemouth became aware of the defense talent and signed him last summer for 15.2 million plus 3 million euros in Bonuses from Juventus. Now there was a top transfer because the Dutch native has been a regular staff in the team of coach Andoni Iraola since the beginning of December.
Thanks to this performance and market value explosion, he is said to have come into the focus of Real Madrid, which wanted to bring him into his youth in 2021. “You never know how it would have gone, it was a very good option, but at that time I thought it was the best thing for me to learn something about the defensive aspect, and I think I did.” He said about the interest of the royal: “This is something special and means that you develop well.” On March 20 and 23, Huijsen has the chance to operate in the jersey of Spain’s advertising on his own behalf in order to play permanently in his homeland.
