Daniel Levy has been vying to bring in a new centre-back in the upcoming summer transfer window as the business chairman looks to add depth and quality to the roster at Hotspur Way, and the Lilywhites have identified Bournemouth defender Dean Huijsen as the leading target given how impressively the Dutch-born Spain international has been playing for the Cherries along the campaign. However, La Liga giants Real Madrid have secured a move for his signature after having reached an agreement with Iraola’s side that would see him move to the Spanish capital in a transfer worth £50 million.
See, Tottenham really need a new centre-back, and Huijsen wasn’t a vanity pursuit; he was seen as a system-specific solution given how he is a rare profile given his elite potential, and many Lilywhites supporters saw him as a seamless long-term heir to Cristian Romero, who himself has been linked with a move to the Spanish capital (with Real Madrid as well as Atletico Madrid vying for his signature).
See, these days the use of full-backs is a bit different from traditional football; the game at the heart of defence is not just only about the size or timing of tackles anymore – it’s also about having system-made ball-dominant initiator defenders who have the capacity to not only neutralise threats but also actively create structure with the ball at their feet, command spaces, and have that calm arrogance about them (the latter is really important to survive high defensive lines these days). And the 20-year-old possesses all of it, which makes Levy’s failure to close the deal for Dean Huijsen a painful blow. And in my eyes, missing out on the Juventus academy star is not just about losing a good opportunity, but to me this one is more about missing a player who could have been a component of evolution in the current tactical build that Ange Postecoglou has deployed at N17.
What made Huijsen an ideal Ange CB profile?
Tottenham boost amid recent Dean Huijsen transfer development
Tottenham were in for Dean Huijsen transfer
See, if I were to describe his abilities in one line, he is a 6’4” centre-back who plays like a midfielder, and if you go back and look at how he featured for Juventus and Roma, it shows us something that’s almost impossible to teach — he is always present. The 20-year-old is always demanding the ball and pushing passes between lines, and the way he plays – he is like a quarterback, especially in high-tempo situations. So, expectedly, in Ange’s setup, where the Australian likes to build in a 2-3-5, he would be expected to get the better of opponents’ first press with line-breaking passes, and he would be expected to hold a high line and have 40 m/60 m of grass behind to defend.
And Huijsen is tailor-made for just that. See, he is not only capable in these actions, but he excels at them. You wouldn’t have to train him to not fit into the system; you’re basically slotting him directly into the next phase of how Tottenham want to evolve.
Huijsen would’ve been an in-between profile to Romero and Micky van de Ven, in my opinion, given how he has the physical scalability of Van de Ven and the offensive ability with the ball of Romero. He was more of a plug-and-forget long-term RCB at Tottenham, especially once the Lilywhites returned to the Champions League.
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Author Opinion
Tottenham wants to sign the 19-year-old defender, who is in Juventus currently and liked by Jose Mourinho
Tottenham miss out on top target Dean Huijsen to Real Madrid
Dean Huijsen had the capacity to be one of the next cornerstone players in the current post-Kane era roster, given how he has that capacity to be a backline-builder in the mould of what Saliba is to Arsenal or what Gvardiol is now to Man City. And the fact Tottenham were in the race and didn’t finalise his signatures should sting.