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AFC Bournemouth defender Dean Huijsen is being targeted by several clubs this summer, including Newcastle United.
Newcastle have made contact regarding the 19-year-old, who recently made his senior debut for the Spain national team. Huijsen has enjoyed a breakthrough season so far in the Premier League since his £15million move from Juventus last summer.
The teenager is also understood to have a £50million release clause in his contract at Bournemouth that can be triggered this summer. Newcastle are said to be in regular communication with Bournemouth regarding the defender’s situation but they will face stiff competition from Premier League rivals Chelsea and Liverpool, German club Bayern Munich as well as Spanish giants Real Madrid.
While the release clause can be triggered without Bournemouth being able to reject it, clubs may look to negotiate payment terms and spread costs to help with Financial Fair Play Rules.
Fabrizio Romano names Dean Huijsen’s ‘dream’ transfer destination amid Newcastle United interest
Transfer expert Fabrizio Romano claimed Real Madrid are a club Huijsen would ‘love’ to join, having lived in Spain between the age of five and 16.
But the Champions League holders are yet to make a decision on their centre-back situation while Newcastle are very much in the market for defensive additions.
“Real Madrid have to decide internally what they want to do for centre-backs but they appreciate the player, they appreciate Dean Huijsen,” Romano said on his YouTube channel.
“No decision yet on what [Real Madrid] want to do in terms of centre-backs. What I wanted to add on Dean Huijsen and Real Madrid is that in the days while he was with Spain, Dean in some interviews said that ‘I would be proud about Real Madrid. I feel proud when I see all the reports about Real Madrid’.
“He's not lying. Dean Huijsen is really, really happy when the links about Real Madrid come up because he believes that Real Madrid is a fantastic football club, is one of the biggest clubs in the world. So the ambition for Dean Huijsen is really to reach that level and so Real Madrid is absolutely part of the clubs he would love to join.”
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What NUFC need to do in order to sign Dean Huijsen from Bournemouth this summer
Newcastle guaranteed European qualification by winning the Carabao Cup but will be aiming higher and looking to qualify for the Champions League this season.
Romano added: “We have to add to the clubs interested in the player, also Newcastle. I've been telling you already in January about Newcastle and I keep telling you that they want the player but it's really important to understand what happens in terms of Champions League football, if they will qualify to the next Champions League edition or not.”
Newcastle will be keen to add some youth to their defensive line this summer as Sven Botman (25) is currently the only central defender below the age of 30 in Eddie Howe’s first-team squad. Jamaal Lascelles and Fabian Schar are also out of contract in the summer as things stand, though the latter is likely to sign a new deal.
Newcastle currently sit sixth in the Premier League table, one point behind Manchester City in fifth and potential Champions League qualification that would give them some leverage in their pursuit of Huijsen this summer.