Five Dean Huijsen alternatives for Premier League teams
Real Madrid have won the race to sign Dean Huijsen from Bournemouth, securing the coveted centre-back ahead of Premier League clubs.
The Spanish side beat competition from the Premier League to land the 20-year-old, activating his £50m release clause. A number of England's elite were actively pursuing Huijsen, but will now look to alternatives in the market.
We've picked out five intriguing options who could be Dean Huijsen alternatives for Premier League teams.
RB Leipzig have endured a disappointing campaign to miss out on European football. That blow could lead to major sales with Benjamin Sesko and Xavi Simons expected to move on. Joining them could be Castello Lukeba, the latest sought-after centre-back to impress in Leipzig.
The 22-yer-old has all the attributes required of a modern centre-back. He's spent time in a back four and back three, with the latter role requiring him to cover large spaces behind an attacking wing-back.
Castello Lukeba is one of the centre-backs being considered by Real Madrid this summer, according to @relevo 🤩 pic.twitter.com/Rty20mqMmM
— Football Transfers (@Transfersdotcom) May 11, 2025
Lukeba's athletic capabilities allow him to defend well in wide areas when required, while he's front-footed when there is an opportunity to counter-press or carry. In terms of numbers, he ranks in the top 2% of centre-backs in Europe's top leagues for attempted take-ons and successful take-ons per 90 minutes.
The Frenchman has a release clause of €90m, though Leipzig would entertain offers in the region of €70m (£58.8m).
Marc Guehi's reputation has been on the rise across the last 12 months. After injuries provided an unexpected key role for England last summer, he impressed as the Three Lions reached the final of Euro 2024.
This season, he's again proven dependable for Crystal Palace and captained the club to FA Cup success – the club's first-ever major trophy. Palace have turned down bids of around £70m from Newcastle and Tottenham in recent transfer windows, but could be forced to cash in this summer. Guehi has just 12 months to run on his deal at Selhurst Park.
🏴🏆 No Premier League centre-back has more sliding tackles (18), passes to the penalty area (40), or key passes (7) than Marc Guéhi this season
📊 https://t.co/McR5zrPkTO pic.twitter.com/rQrWSVBA72
— DataMB (@DataMB_) May 18, 2025
Still just 24, and with plenty of experience leading a Premier League side, Guehi could be a smart alternative to Huijsen as a left-sided centre-back.
Left-footed, comfortable on the ball, and with a attainable release clause, there's plenty of similarities between Huijsen and Piero Hincapie.
The latter has attracted admirers from across Europe after four solid seasons with Bayer Leverkusen. Hincapie was part of the Leverkusen side that won a German league and cup double without losing last season and has racked up 114 Bundesliga games and 44 international caps despite only turning 23 in January.
The Colombian centre-back has operated at full-back and on the left-hand side of a three-man central defence. His numbers, progressively, are particularly impressive. Hincapie ranks in the top 5% of centre-backs in Europe's top five leagues for progressive carries, crosses, and carries into the final third, and in the 93rd percentile for tackles won. His ability to stride forward has been a key part of Leverkusen's flexible system under Xabi Alonso.
A move has not been ruled out with a €60m release clause in his contract.
A Premier League proven option with plenty to like.
Murillo has been a monstrous presence in Nottingham Forest's unexpected European qualification, with the Brazilian a fantastic find. The 22-year-old had played just 13 league games for Corinthians when Forest made their move, a £12.6m deal that has paid dividends.
Our Murillo 🪨 pic.twitter.com/tV110PK7CM
— Nottingham Forest (@NFFC) May 5, 2024
He was named the club's Player of the Season in 2023/24, before forming an excellent partnership with Nikola Milenkovic this time around. Murillo leads the Premier League for clearances (236) and successful take-on percentage (78.8%) and ranks second for blocks (67).
The broad-shouldered Brazilian combines strength and speed with raking long distribution and deceptively nimble footwork. Forest will want a huge offer for his services.
Goncalo Inacio has been regularly linked with England in recent transfer windows.
The Sporting centre-back has shone in back-to-back Primeira Liga triumphs for the Portuguese side and could move on in search of a new challenge.
Inacio ranks among the top 10 players in the Primeira Liga for progressive carrying distance (1st), passes into the final third (2nd), touches (4th), progressive passes (5th) and pass completion (10th). In addition, the 23-year-old's shown his goalscoring threat with six goals across all competitions.
Excellent on the ball, the measure of Inacio will come with a move to a top-five league and, perhaps, performances as part of a back four. Manchester United and former Sportin boss Ruben Amorim have been linked.
Read –
See more –
| | | |
Hashtags

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
29 minutes ago
- Yahoo
2025 Club World Cup odds: Real Madrid (+400) is slight favorite to win the 32-team tournament
The one-of-a-kind 2025 Club World Cup begins Saturday with 32 of the best professional soccer club teams in the world vying for the title. The teams are split up into eight qualifying groups and the final will take place on July 13 at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey. The full schedule and group breakdowns is available here, along with how every team qualified for the tournament. Advertisement Spanish club Real Madrid (+400) is the favorite at BetMGM and has the overwhelming amount of total wagers (26.2%) and total dollars wagered (81.1%) to win the tournament. Real Madrid is the biggest liability at the sportsbook. Paris Saint-Germain (+450), fresh off the club's first Champions League title, has the second-best odds. PSG also has the second-most wagers (10.5%) and second-biggest handle among all teams (5.1%). PSG also has seen a significant line shift since opening at 12-1 to win the tournament. Manchester City (+550) and Bayern Munich (+650) are the two other teams with odds better than 10-1. New Zealand club Auckland City FC has the longest odds at 1,000-1.


Fox News
an hour ago
- Fox News
World Cup 2026 odds: Spain the favorite a year out from tournament
Soccer fans around the world have been waiting for the inaugural 48-team edition of the World Cup, and this week the tournament is officially just one year out. The 2026 World Cup will be held in North America, with live coverage on the FOX and the FOX Sports app. Bettors and fans already have their sights set on the world's biggest sporting event, which will kick off on June 11. After Spain defeated England to win the UEFA Euro 2024, its odds of winning the World Cup shifted drastically, moving to +600 from +900 overnight— and is now at +500 despite a runner-up finish against Portugal in the UEFA Nations League final. The Spanish are slight favorites over France— with Les Blues currently sitting at +600. Another team to watch are defending champions Argentina, who defeated Colombia to claim the Copa América trophy last year. The team's odds have dropped slightly since last summer, moving to +900 from +800. The World Cup final will be held at New Jersey's MetLife Stadium on July 19, 2026. Let's dive into the odds via DraftKings Sportsbook. 2026 WORLD CUP ODDS: * Spain: +500 (bet $10 to win $60 total)France: +600 (bet $10 to win $70 total)Brazil: +650 (bet $10 to win $75 total)England: +650 (bet $10 to win $75 total)Argentina: +900 (bet $10 to win $100 total)Germany: +1000 (bet $10 to win $110 total)Portugal:+1400 (bet $10 to win $150 total)Netherlands: +1800 (bet $10 to win $190 total)Italy: +2200 (bet $10 to win $230 total)Uruguay: +2500 (bet $10 to win $260 total)Colombia: +3500 (bet $10 to win $360 total)United States: +3500 (bet $10 to win $360 total)Belgium: +3500 (bet $10 to win $360 total)Croatia: +6500 (bet $10 to win $660 total)Denmark: +6500 (bet $10 to win $660 total)Mexico: +6500 (bet $10 to win $660 total) * odds as of 6/10/25 On the USMNT side, the team's poor showing last summer has left fans wondering if the next big tournament will yield a more favorable outcome. Since the group stage was introduced in 1975, the United States was the first host nation to fail to reach the Copa América knockout stage. This summer's Gold Cup was supposed to serve as an opportunity for the team to gel with new manager Mauricio Pochettino, but the roster is not what most expected. Christian Pulisic, Jedi Robinson, Yunus Musah, Weston McKennie, Tim Weah and Sergino Dest are among a group of regular stars not participating in this summer's tournament for various reasons. Additionally, the team's odds to win the World Cup moved from +3000 at the time of their Copa América elimination, to +3500 currently. In February, FIFA released the dates and locations for the 104-match tournament, which will be co-hosted by the United States, Canada and Mexico. The US Men's National Team has group stage matches: – June 12, SoFi Stadium, Inglewood, California – June 19, Lumen Field, Seattle – June 25, SoFi Stadium The semifinals will be at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas, on July 14 and at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta on July 15. France is a team to watch, as they were one of the youngest teams at the 2022 tournament and boast one of the best players in the world in Kylian Mbappe. When you factor in that they had numerous key players out for injury in 2022, it's no surprise that they are now near the top of the board. Brazil and England have the next best odds to take home the Cup, at +650 to win it all. After being derailed by injuries in 2014, 2018 2022, and 2024, Neymar will be focused on his own Messi-like mid-30s redemption story. Or will he? Either way, The Seleção will be loaded, but they need their younger talent to step up to get back on the podium. Defending champion Argentina is fifth on the oddsboard at +900. Star Lionel Messi, after moving to MLS to play for Inter Miami, has not officially committed to playing in 2026— but their have been rumblings that he will. He did suffer an injury during Argentina's win over Colombia in the Copa América final last summer. Will that cloud his 2026 World Cup status is even further? La Albiceleste will return young talent such as Julián Alvarez and Enzo Fernández, so with or without Messi, Argentina will still be a force to be reckoned with. The USMNT at +3500 has long odds but a few things are working in their favor. The Americans will have home-field advantage for the first time since 1994. Follow FOX Sports for the latest news on soccer and other sports.
Yahoo
an hour ago
- Yahoo
Bonmati, Putellas lead Spain as Hermoso overlooked for Euro 2025
Jenni Hermoso was left out of Spain's squad for next month's women's Euro 2025 on Tuesday, with two-time Ballon d'Or winners Aitana Bonmati and Alexia Putellas set to be key players for the world champions. Coach Montse Tome included 11 members of the 2023 World Cup-winning squad. Advertisement But Tome has decided again not to call up experienced forward Hermoso. She has insisted Hermoso's recent absence is a sporting decision. Ex-football federation chief Luis Rubiales forcibly kissed Hermoso after the 2023 Women's World Cup final for which he was fined 10,800 euros ($11,670) for sexual assault, a sentence which is being appealed. "I spoke with Jenni at the beginning of the year. We had a conversation. She came to the first FIFA matchday and didn't get many minutes," Tome told a press conference of Spain's all-time leading women's scorer, who plays for Mexican club Tigres. Advertisement "We've evaluated her year, we've spoken with her coach on several occasions, and we've done what we have to do to see what we need or don't need from the players," the coach continued. La Roja play a friendly against Japan on June 27, and two days later will head to Switzerland. They start their Euros campaign on July 3 against Portugal in Bern and will face Belgium and Italy on July 7 and 11. Squad Goalkeepers: Cata Coll (Barcelona), Adriana Nanclares (Athletic Bilbao), Esther Sullastres (Sevilla) Defenders: Ona Batlle (Barcelona), Jana Fernandez (Barcelona), Irene Paredes (Barcelona), Laia Aleixandri (Manchester City/ENG), Maria Mendez (Real Madrid), Olga Carmona (Real Madrid), Leila Ouahabi (Manchester City/ENG) Advertisement Midfielders: Patri Guijarro (Barcelona), Aitana Bonmati (Barcelona), Alexia Putellas (Barcelona), Vicky Lopez (Barcelona), Maite Zubieta (Athletic Bilbao) Forwards: Mariona Caldentey (Arsenal/ENG), Salma Paralluelo (Barcelona), Claudia Pina (Barcelona), Athenea del Castillo (Real Madrid), Alba Redondo (Real Madrid), Lucia Garcia (Monterrey/MEX), Esther Gonzalez (Gotham/USA), Cristina Martin-Prieto (Benfica/POR) ati/bm/ea/jc