Real Madrid agree deal to sign Bournemouth defender Dean Huijsen
Madrid have moved to sign the 20-year-old defender on a five-year deal after his impressive performances over the course of the season brought him to the attention of several clubs across Europe.
Advertisement
The deal was jointly announced by both clubs, with Madrid saying that Huijsen will join their ranks on 1 June, two weeks before the Club World Cup kicks off in the United States. Madrid's first match is against Al Hilal on 18 June.
'Real Madrid CF and AFC Bournemouth have reached an agreement for the transfer of player Dean Huijsen, who remains tied to our club for the next five seasons, from June 1 2025 to June 30 2030,' the Madrid statement said.
The transfer represents a significant profit for the Cherries less than 12 months since they signed the Malaga academy product from Juventus for £12.6million [€14.99m] on a six-year contract.
Since then Huijsen has made a huge impact, swiftly adapting to English football and excelling as Bournemouth have competed in the top half of the table, breaking the club's highest points tally in the Premier League.
The Amsterdam-born player has made 34 appearances for the Cherries, scoring two goals, while this season also saw him make his international debut for Spain after switching his allegiance from the Netherlands, having played for the country of his birth at youth level.
Hashtags

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles


Irish Daily Mirror
an hour ago
- Irish Daily Mirror
Katie Taylor's words to dad 'killed him' after dating woman younger than her
Pete Taylor claimed it 'killed' him when Katie Taylor cut ties after his marriage collapsed and he started a romance with a woman who was the same age as his daughter. The boxing trainer, who grew up in Leeds, had coached Katie all her life and led her to gold at the London Olympics in 2012. But when the legendary boxer discovered his father had split with his mother, Bridget, she made a painful decision. Speaking about losing contact with his eldest daughter, he said: 'Katie is really into her faith, I just remember her coming down to the boxing club – 'Da, I don't want you in the corner. I just don't want you in the corner.'' Katie's father added: 'Social media… I'm married now, married to Karen, and Karen is the same age as Katie, and everybody was saying, 'Pete Taylor's ran off with Katie's best friend.'' Pete clarified that his now wife Karen Brown, 35, knew of Katie, 39, because of her boxing achievements but did not know her personally. He also claimed on the Anything Goes With James English podcast that he considered this rumour an 'insult' to him, because it sounded like he could have 'groomed' her if he had known her since she was a child, which was not the case. Pete Taylor has since reconciled with his eldest daughter Katie (Image: ©INPHO/Gary Carr) Podcast host James then said it was 'ruthless' of Katie to cease talking to him, but Pete offered context. He said: 'Do you know what, I don't think it was ruthless, she has such morals, and such faith, and she thinks if you are married you should be together for life. She has some morals you know, it killed me now, but I had to respect it you know.' Katie later appeared in a documentary and said she felt like she was boxing with one arm after the split because all she had ever known was her father being in her corner. She later failed to retain her gold medal at the Olympics in Rio before turning professional, where she went on to become a multi-division world champion who starred in a thrilling trilogy with Amanda Serrano. And speaking about going years without talking to his daughter, Pete said: 'That was tough because we were like that you know. 'It was tough for both of us but that's life isn't it? But obviously because we were always together, it was a big thing in the newspapers. You would think I was the only person who ever split up a marriage in Ireland.' They are back on good terms after a turbulent few years (Image: ©INPHO/Gary Carr) And after the success of the Olympics in 2012, where Pete and Katie returned to a sensational homecoming, he claimed he was painted as the 'pure villain in Ireland' after Katie's shock quarter-final defeat in the Olympics in Rio four years later. Reemphasising his earlier point, he repeated: 'At the time, it was tough now in all fairness.' Despite a difficult few years, Katie and Pete reconciled, and he was even welcomed back ahead of her third fight with Serrano last month. And speaking before the world championship clash, she said: 'To be back training with him is huge for me, you can't mention my story without mentioning my dad.' Her manager, Brian Peters, added: 'It takes some doing just to get that relationship back, that takes work but it's beautiful to see it. Katie uses a great word – restoration.'


Sunday World
an hour ago
- Sunday World
Kevin Palmer: Marcus Rashford operates to different rules – but he may be entering the last chance saloon
Manchester United outcast on his final chance Like a spoilt brat who continues to bend the rules with a relentlessness that ensures their parents will eventually give in to their delinquent, Rashford relaunches his career in Catalonia after signing for one of the world's great clubs. Handed the No 14 jersey once worn by the great Thierry Henry at Barcelona, this was a move that re-established Rashford as a footballer worthy of A-list status. But he has been anything but that since mid-2023. In fact, his form over the last two seasons would not justify a move to play for Barcelona's junior team that compete in the lower leagues of Spanish football, yet Rashford has always operated under different rules and this latest twist in his story confirmed as much. From the moment he burst onto the scene with two goals on his Premier League debut for Manchester United against Arsenal in February 2016, it was clear this striker had the potential to become a global star. He emerged from a challenging childhood to realise his dreams with his local team. Yet it didn't take long for Rashford's sporting story to be hijacked by a very different agenda that would give him dangerous power over his United managers and anyone who dared to question him. Rashford became the Bob Geldof and Bono of football when he was promoted as the frontman for a campaign to give underprivileged kids free school meals in the UK. The British government backtracked on their policy under pressure from Rashford and his team of advisers. That success ensured he became a sporting superhero for kids across Britain as much for his activism as his ability to score goals for United. An extended series of Rashford books offering pearls of wisdom to youngsters are still on the stands today, with his rags-to-riches story ensuring he generated so much currency in the credibility bank that no one in football dared to question him. Yet it has been clear for some time now that Rashford is not quite as saintly as his team of advisers would like you to believe. Jose Mourinho was the first United boss who publicly questioned the professionalism of a player as far back as 2018 and his successor, Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, was also critical of the striker's timekeeping. When both Erik ten Hag and Ruben Amorim voiced similar concerns over Rashford's lack of professionalism, the glossy veneer his PR team had applied as they built up his image as a generational game-changer was badly tarnished. Criticism in the media was rejected with predictable accusations that were posted on his social media accounts, but we are all entitled to pass judgement on his performances for United since that £350,000-a-week contract started clicking into his bank account. A deal of that magnitude is handed out to leaders who are asked to set an example. Yet Rashford has set a tone at United that too many have followed. Rashford hopes his move to La Liga will put a permanent smile back on his face. Josep Lago/Getty United wanted Rashford to emerge as their talisman when they gave their No 10 one of the biggest contracts in the club's history, but they got a footballer who appeared to lack the motivation and drive to press for more in a career that had already given him so much. This was a striker who had football world at his feet after a magical 2022/23 season, when he fired 30 goals for United in all competitions – and if he had signed for Barcelona that summer rather than signing his new deal at Old Trafford, few eyebrows would have been raised. Yet despite his encouraging displays during a loan spell at Aston Villa in the second half of last season, the sight of Rashford wearing the famous claret and blue Barca jersey will be hard to comprehend. The brutal facts of the last two years confirm that Rashford has not earned this move to Spain, with 15 Premier League goals from his last 67 appearances for United only telling a small part of this story. His on-field failures are nothing compared to his tarnished image off it, with the damning accusation that he lacks professionalism hard to avoid when it has been hinted at by four separate United managers. His infamous trip to a Belfast nightclub in January 2024 was a low point that highlighted the perception that football was no long a priority for Rashford, amid some claims that he was battling demons away from football that were impacting his performances. Yet players who are given the United No 10 jersey and handed the kind of contract Rashford signed just two years ago will be judged to a higher standard than others, and that makes the scale of his failure all the more comprehensive. So when we saw him appearing to lack inspiration and desire to play elite level football week after week, it was hard not to reach the conclusion that his time at the top was coming to an end. Players who have been on a journey like this don't normally end up at Barcelona, but Rashford has been given a free pass once again and now comes his biggest test. Taking himself out of Manchester and moving to Spain may offer him the reset he needs, but learning a new language, understanding how to adapt to a very different brand of football will arguably be a tougher task than anything he has faced so far. His one-year loan deal at Barcelona will not be extended if Rashford turns up late for training and gives the impression he will not give his all to a team that means so much to the Catalan people. The Barca supporters won't care about his success 'saving' school meals for poor kids in England. They will judge him on how he performs in their famous jersey and negative body language will not be accepted by this demanding fanbase. From this point forward, Rashford will be judged on abilities and attitude on a football field, and that's where his biggest problem has come over the last couple of years.


Sunday World
an hour ago
- Sunday World
John Aldridge: The one big concern I have for Liverpool heading into the new season
Have they made too many changes in this transfer window? It is the question concerning me right now and we will see whether those fears are justified when the season gets underway a couple of weeks from now. We all knew an evolution was coming at Liverpool after last season's title triumph, with high-profile players leaving and replacements needed. What we didn't expect was for Liverpool's owners to sanction so many mega-money deals, with Florian Wirtz becoming the club's first £100m player and Newcastle striker Alexander Isak possibly following him to Anfield imminently for an even bigger fee before this summer's transfer window closes. Giorgi Mamardashvili, Jeremie Frimpong, Hugo Ekitike and Milos Kerkez have also arrived, with Luis Diaz's departure to Bayern Munich the latest big-name exit from Arne Slot's squad in a summer that has also seen Trent Alexander-Arnold and Caoimhín Kelleher leave. Read more A turnover of players on this level is not familiar to Liverpool, with the club's owners at the Fenway Sports Group (FSG) often criticised by the fans for being too cautious with their spending. Well, that accusation has been well and truly banished in recent weeks as Slot's squad has been given the kind of overhaul we have not seen since Sadio Mane, Mo Salah, Virgil van Dijk and Alisson Becker were signed between 2016 and 2018. FSG showed during that period that they will open the purse strings when the time is right and that burst of top-class signings gave Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp a team that went on to win every major trophy in the game over the following few seasons. Now we are seeing a similar story, with the slow break up of Klopp's team happening over the last couple of years and the new faces have now arrived. So, instead of asking whether FSG will splash the cash, we should applaud them for running such a tight financial ship. I didn't expect to see Liverpool spending so much in this summer's transfer window, but a little bit of context needs to be added to this story. First of all, Liverpool's lack of transfer investment in recent years has seen them outspent by all their big rivals in the Premier League year after year. So, if you take their net spend from this summer and include it in the totals for the last five years, Liverpool are still down in seventh position in the Premier League, even after all their frenzied transfer activity this summer. Alexander Isak would give Liverpool's forward line a finishing touch that could take them to the next level. Photo:Chelsea, Man City, Arsenal, Tottenham, Manchester United and Newcastle have all spent more than Liverpool since the summer of 2021 and that explains why they can push the boat out to sign players like Wirtz and still go for Isak. We also have to consider the business Liverpool have done selling players this summer before looking at the amount they have spent. The sales of Kelleher, Alexander-Arnold, Jarell Quansah and Nat Phillips brought in decent money before they got a reported £65m from Bayern Munich for Diaz. I'd expect Darwin Nunez to go before the end of the transfer window and if they got £50m for him, Liverpool's net spend this summer would be less than £100m. The club has also just signed a massive new kit deal with Adidas, while they banked almost £200m in prize money and broadcast revenue from last season's title success. Those figures highlight how they are funding this summer's transfer business and they also explain why they could still have the funds to go for Isak while staying within the financial fair play guidelines. I'd love to see Isak coming to Liverpool, as he would give the forward line a finishing touch that could take them to the next level. Florian Wirtz scored his first goal for Liverpool in a pre-season game in Japan. Photo:Wirtz has already added an extra dimension to their attacking play during his first few outings for Liverpool in pre-season matches, and you have Salah and Cody Gakpo in the mix, too. For me, the only area of concern in the squad right now is at centre-back because I would worry what would happen if Van Dijk was out for a long period. The captain is reaching an age now where he could have more injury issues and with doubts over Ibrahima Konte's future at the club and Joe Gomez's worrying fitness record, that is an area Liverpool may look to improve with another signing. If I had a choice, I'd probably encourage them to sign a top-class centre-back rather than throwing everything into getting the Isak deal over the line because we all saw how the squad was affected when a defensive injury crisis kicked in a few years back. Klopp had no chance in the season when Van Dijk and Joel Matip were out for a long spell with injuries, and Liverpool need to make sure that scenario is not repeated this season. You can't always win trophies by outscoring teams and when I look around the other Premier League contenders, they are all going to be much stronger in the new season. Man City have been steadily rebuilding over the last three transfer windows, Arsenal are hoping Viktor Gyokeres is the striker they have been lacking and Chelsea will be dangerous as they seem to be finding a blend at last after their massive splurge of transfer activity. Liverpool should also be stronger after last season's Premier League title win, but Chelsea have shown that huge turnovers of players can lead to a period of transition, so Slot is likely to face a different challenge this season coming. This time last year, expectations around Liverpool were limited as a new manager was taking on Klopp's team and no one expected him to win the title in his first season without any major transfer investment. Now, the expectations have flipped and Liverpool will head into this campaign as title favourites. This is Slot's Liverpool team, so he will face a very different pressure after setting the bar for success so high. Making the leap from junior football to the seniors is never easy, but I'm so excited to see what Rio Ngumoha can do in the upcoming season. This young man arrived at Liverpool from Chelsea last summer with a big reputation and I liked what I saw of him in the junior ranks last season. Now he has started to make the step up to the senior team and at the age of just 16, he is a real star in the making. Ngumoha has caught the eye in Liverpool's pre-season matches over the last couple of weeks and he has been so impressive that I'm thinking he could play a role in the first team, despite his lack of experience. Mo Salah, Cody Gakpo, Florian Wirtz and Hugo Ekitike will offer manager Arne Slot plenty of options this season and if Alexander Isak arrives, they will have a forward line that will be hard to beat. Having a young man with Ngumoha's talent as a reserve will be an exciting option and I can't wait to see how he develops over the next few years.