Arsenal are ready to trigger the £50 million release clause of Bournemouth defender Dean Huijsen and get a deal done for him this month, according to Italian journalist and transfer expert Fabrizio Romano.
However, the Gunners are facing fierce competition for the 20-year-old, with Chelsea and Liverpool also keen, while Real Madrid believe he wants to join them ahead of others.
🚨 More on Dean Huijsen. Real Madrid know the player dreams of the move, as internal talks are taking place with Xabi Alonso on new CB.
Chelsea, Liverpool and Arsenal are ready to trigger £50m clause getting deal done this month, trying to agree with player’s camp.
Race open. pic.twitter.com/rCu3EWyazy
— Fabrizio Romano (@FabrizioRomano) May 13, 2025
Arsenal have held meetings and conversations with the camp of the Bournemouth star, with manager Mikel Arteta and sporting director Andrea Berta huge admirers, but whether he is open to joining them is unknown given the number of suitors keen to land.
Huijsen has made 34 appearances for the Cherries across all competitions this term having established himself as a regular, scoring thrice and assisting once.
He bagged the equaliser to help his side to a 2-1 win over Arsenal in the Premier League earlier this month, which could have further impressed the decision-makers at the North London club after his outstanding performance at both ends of the pitch.
The Gunners have William Saliba and Gabriel Magalhaes as their first-choice centre-back pairing, with Jakub Kiwior providing cover, and Huijsen could have reservations over joining them.
He has played once for Spain and will need to keep featuring regularly at club level if he wants to remain with the national team ahead of the 2026 World Cup, and a move to Arsenal may not give him that opportunity.
The Gunners could lose Kiwior this summer and are looking for reinforcement as they look to bolster their squad depth for another title challenge next season, but they may need to look elsewhere as landing the Bournemouth defender could prove tricky.
Arsenal want the best players available as they want to be able to win the major trophies, but they are not alone and may need to offer more wages to some of their transfer targets if they want to beat others to their services.