Arsenal and Liverpool transfer target Dean Huijsen
Dean Huijsen during a Premier League match for Bournemouth.
Arsenal are rivalling Liverpool and Real Madrid for Bournemouth centre-back Dean Huijsen ahead of the summer transfer window, according to reports.
The Gunners are having a decent season in the Premier League but it now looks like they will have to make do with being runners-up for the third season in a row.
Liverpool extended their lead at the top of the Premier League to 15 points over the weekend after they beat Southampton 3-1 and Arsenal were held to a 1-1 draw against Manchester United at Old Trafford.
It would now take a monumental collapse from Arne Slot’s side to hand Arsenal a chance of winning the Premier League title as Liverpool have only lost one league match all season.
Arsenal still have a chance of winning the Champions League, as they head into the second leg of their last-16 clash against PSV Eindhoven tonight with a 7-1 lead, but attention has already turned to the summer.
It has become clear in recent months that Arsenal are looking to improve in attacking areas of the summer with Mikel Arteta keen to improve his centre-forward and wide options.
However, it has also become clear that the Gunners will look to improve their depth defensively too with Bournemouth centre-back Huijsen on their list.
A report in the I newspaper earlier this week claimed that Liverpool are ‘prepared to meet the buyout clause in Dean Huijsen’s Bournemouth contract after identifying him as a long-term replacement for club captain Virgil van Dijk’.
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The Reds ‘have shown by far the strongest interest’ in the Netherlands-born Spain Under-21 international and Liverpool are ‘expected to make their move once the summer transfer window opens’.
It is understood that the Bournemouth defender has a release clause worth £50m, which ‘would be comfortable for the champions-elect in a way it might not be for two other interested clubs, Manchester United and Tottenham’.
But now Spanish website Fichajes claims that Arsenal ‘has set its sights on’ a move for Huijsen, who is considered ‘a more affordable option’ than many other centre-backs by Spanish giants Real Madrid, with the buyout clause in the 19-year-old’s contract an ‘amount that fits’ into Los Blancos’ ‘plans’.
The report adds:
‘However, Arsenal has strongly intervened in the operation, conducting extensive monitoring of the player and showing clear interest in signing him. This has put Real Madrid’s sporting management on alert, having already experienced a similar situation last summer with Leny Yoro, when another English club, Manchester United, ended up raising the price and complicating the young French defender’s arrival.
‘Although Valdebebas doesn’t favor an auction, Arsenal’s appearance in the fight for Huijsen forces Madrid to define its strategy as soon as possible. If they truly want to land the Dutch-born center-back, they’ll need to prepare a convincing offer to avoid another case like Yoro’s. The market battle has begun.’
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