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Liverpool enter race to sign "magnificent" £68m CB, he's a dream Huijsen alternative - opinion

There's a lot going on down Anfield Road this summer, and there's more yet to come for Liverpool's Arne Slot as the Premier League-winning manager pieces together a squad capable of sustaining title charges across so many years.

Few predicted Liverpool would be crowned champions after Jurgen Klopp stepped down from his post, but the Merseysiders proved a cut above their rivals to win the title at a canter. However, now is the time for investment, having spent nominally in last summer's market.

Whether the Reds manage to offload Darwin Nunez and bring in a flashy new striker remains to be seen, but there's little question that Jeremie Frimpong, who has already signed, and Milos Kerkez and Florian Wirtz, who are on the verge, will improve the Merseysiders and then some.

It's all going swimmingly, but Liverpool will be frustrated by their failure to sign Dean Huijsen from Bournemouth, the centre-back instead signing for Real Madrid last month in a £50m deal.

Why Liverpool wanted Dean Huijsen

Analyst Ben Mattinson remarked last season that Huijsen was "the most in-demand centre-back in the world", and after such an impressive breakout campaign with Bournemouth, it's clear to see why.

dean-huijsen-bournemouth

The archetypal modern centre-half, Huijsen, only 20 years old, can do it all, defending with steely tenacity and spraying balls forward with the artful elegance of a midfield maestro.

As per FBref, he ranked among the top 7% of Premier League positional peers last term for shot-creating actions, the top 15% for progressive passes, the top 9% for progressive carries and the top 4% for interceptions and blocks per 90.

Shot-creating actions are pieces of play that lead to a shot. These include moments such as a pass, take-on or foul being drawn.

With Virgil van Dijk approaching the autumn of his illustrious Liverpool career, the left-sided Huijsen would have been the perfect fit, but instead Liverpool will have to turn their attention elsewhere.

Bournemouth defender Dean Huijsen

The Spain international is off the cards, then, but FSG may yet authorise a move for an up-and-coming defensive star.

Liverpool enter race for new CB

According to Portuguese outlet A Bola, Liverpool have joined Chelsea in the race for Benfica centre-back Tomas Araujo, who has an €80m (£68m) release clause in his contract.

tomas-araujo-benfica

The 23-year-old might be higher on Chelsea's list at the moment, but that's not to say Liverpool won't accelerate their plans in the coming weeks, once other areas of the field have been dealt with.

It's worth noting that Benfica do not want to sell their prized defender, but if Liverpool are serious, they may be able to tempt the player to push for an exit before the start of the 2025/26 campaign.

What Tomas Araujo would bring to Liverpool

Liverpool wouldn't have just made themselves known as suitors for Huijsen because many of their divisional rivals had registered interest; the Reds' data-driven approach would have seen the Dutch-born talent profiled extensively.

He is indeed off the cards, but Liverpool could sign a similar player in Araujo, who has been hailed for his "magnificent" rise to prominence in Portugal by talent scout Jacek Kulig.

Benfica defender Tomas Araujo

Having graduated from Benfica's academy and having completed a season-long loan with Gil Vicente in 2022/23, Araujo has now completed 68 senior matches with the Eagles, winning the Taça da Liga last season (effectively the Portuguese version of the League Cup).

Limited to just 20 appearances across all competitions in 2023/24, having returned from his promising loan spell, Araujo has now become a mainstay in Benfica's first team, going from strength to strength to attract the attention of Liverpool.

And when collating his data from the 2024/25 campaign with Huijsen's, you begin to see that Liverpool could actually strike gold in signing this second choice, for he matches up with the Spaniard nicely indeed.

League Stats 24/25 - Dean Huijsen vs Tomas Araujo

Stats (* per game)

Matches (starts)

Goals

Assists

Touches*

Pass completion

Key passes*

Dribbles*

Ball recoveries*

Tackles + interceptions*

Clearances*

Duels (won)*

Data via Sofascore

Matching Huijsen across ball-playing metrics, Araujo has also proved himself to be more accurate in the duel and more active across tackling and intercepting areas, albeit making far fewer clearances than his fellow Iberian.

Curiously, Araujo also recovered more balls, which speaks highly of his athleticism and energy, covering ground. This would be especially important in the Premier League, which is played at a higher pace than the Liga Portugal.

dean-huijsen-bournemouth-premier-league

And furthermore, Araujo is also a capable right-back, playing out wide when the situation demands it. The fruits of this can be found in his 0.6 dribbles per game, also maintaining a crispness in his passing while creating openings for his teammates in a similar vein as Huijsen.

He might not have the goalscoring advantage on Real Madrid's new recruit, who already is an expert at using his rangy frame in the box, but then he has shown on occasion an ability to find the back of the net with a leaping effort.

A balanced defender who has proven his ability to shake things up on the biggest stage, Araujo is the real deal. Across the 2024/25 Champions League season, he ranked among the top 17% of central defenders for shot-creating actions and the top 1% for tackles per 90 (FBref).

Given Liverpool's pressing need for more depth and quality in the rearguard, especially with Ibrahima Konate's future uncertain and Jarell Quansah linked with a transfer to Bayer Leverkusen, Araujo could be the perfect fit.

Tomás Araújo

The Benfica star's ball-playing and -carrying strengths indicate a style which Huijsen has performed so well in the Premier League, so now it's up to FSG to steal ahead of Chelsea in the transfer tussle.

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