Latest news with #Netherlands-born
Yahoo
27-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Dean Huijsen signs for Real Madrid in £50m deal with Bournemouth
Real Madrid have completed the signing of the Bournemouth centre-back Dean Huijsen. The 20-year-old defender, who has also been targeted by Chelsea, Arsenal, Bayern Munich, Liverpool and Newcastle, will join the Spanish club at the end of the season after they agreed to pay a £50m release clause. Real tried to sign the Netherlands-born Spain international when he was a youth player at Málaga and have continued to track the former Juventus and Roma defender's progress. Huijsen's footballing idol is Sergio Ramos, the former Spain and Madrid defender. After a loan spell at Roma, Huijsen signed for Bournemouth in July 2024. Related: 'I've always been pretty chilled': Dean Huijsen on Bournemouth, defending and his celebration His recruitment comes as Xabi Alonso is set to take charge as Madrid's manager from Carlo Ancelotti, who is taking over the Brazil national team, and marks the start of the La Liga club's rebuild. The Bayer Leverkusen head coach will come in after a season in which the European champions were knocked out of the Champions League in the quarter-finals by Arsenal and lost their La Liga crown to their arch-rivals, Barcelona. The Amsterdam-born player has made 30 appearances in the top flight this season, and scored goals against while his reputation burgeoned as one of Europe's most capable young players. Huijsen's family moved from the Netherlands to Spain when he was five and last year he pledged his allegiance to the latter despite representing the Dutch from under-16s to under-19s. He earned his first caps for the Spain senior team in March. '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 1 June 2025 to 30 June 2030,' the Madrid statement said. Bournemouth had earlier said on their website: 'Everyone at AFC Bournemouth is looking forward to working with Dean for the remaining two games of the Premier League season, before he embarks on the next step of his career.' Bournemouth visit Manchester City on Tuesday then host Leicester on Sunday 25 May. Ancelotti said on Saturday: 'Huijsen is a great player, young, with a lot of potential. I think the signing is very good for Real Madrid.' Injuries to defenders have significantly affected Madrid's season, and Ancelotti highlighted the importance of strengthening the backline. 'Last season, I don't think it was even thinkable because we had David Alaba's return in the squad, [Éder] Militão was doing well, [Dani] Carvajal was doing well, and throughout this season, these kinds of injuries have hurt us,' he added. Carvajal and Militão have been out with serious knee injuries since November. Antonio Rüdiger, Ferland Mendy and Alaba suffered injuries late in April and are not expected to be back before the end of the season.
New Straits Times
26-05-2025
- Sport
- New Straits Times
Cape Verde to use M-League connection to beat Malaysia
KUALA LUMPUR: Cape Verde are counting on their M-League connection against Malaysia in two international friendlies in Kuala Lumpur. The African side, ranked 72nd in the world, will face Harimau Malaya at KLFA Stadium on Thursday and on June 3 at the National Stadium (behind closed doors). Among their key players is Selangor forward Alvin Fortes. The Netherlands-born Fortes has 11 caps with Cape Verde. Newcomer Stephane Cueni, a Swiss-born midfielder who recently completed his nationality switch, was also named in the squad, The Blue Sharks are using the matches against Malaysia as preparation for their World Cup qualifiers in September. They currently lead Group B after defeating Mauritius 1-0 and Angola 2-1 in March. Their squad include European-based players Logan Costa (Villarreal), Deroy Duarte (Ludogorets), and Steven Moreira (Columbus Crew).
Yahoo
17-05-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Huijsen joins Real Madrid from Bournemouth for £50m
Real Madrid have signed defender Dean Huijsen from Bournemouth in time to play in the Club World Cup after the Spanish giants activated his £50m release clause. The 20-year-old has signed a five-year deal which will allow him to debut at the newly expanded tournament in the United States. Both clubs confirmed the move with Madrid saying that one-time Spain international Huijsen will officially join on 1 June. Their first match of the Club World Cup is against Saudi Arabian side Al Hilal on 18 June. The fee will be paid in three instalments, with Huijsen's two former clubs set to receive a slice of the fee - Juventus are due 10% and Malaga 5%. Huijsen had as many as seven offers on the table, and had attracted interest from Premier League clubs Chelsea, Liverpool, Arsenal and Newcastle. Unknown to Real Madrid's £50m man - the rise of Huijsen Huijsen has chosen Real and will return to Spain where he grew up, playing for Costa Unida CF academy in Marbella and Malaga's youth team. Bayer Leverkusen boss Xabi Alonso, who is set to replace Carlo Ancelotti as Real manager, has been instrumental in the decision to sign the defender and prioritised signing a young centre-back. Huijsen joined Bournemouth from Juventus last summer for a fee of £12.6m. The Netherlands-born defender has made 34 appearances in all competitions for the Cherries this season, scoring three times. Huijsen is set to become Madrid's second signing from the Premier League this summer, with Liverpool defender Trent Alexander-Arnold also set to move to the Spanish capital. Huijsen was subject of an international tug-of-war between the Netherlands, where he was born, and Spain, where he was raised. He opted to play for Spain, and made his debut for the 2024 European Championship winners against the Netherlands in March 2025. Spain manager Luis de la Fuente, who gave Huijsen his international debut, says the defender is "ready" for the move to the Bernabeu. "I see him - if nothing gets in the way - as capable of playing for any team," De La Fuente told BBC Sport. "I don't see any limits. Huijsen is having a great season in the Premier League and is ready. I'm sure he'll keep improving with time, naturally." Tiago Pinto, Bournemouth's president of football operations, was crucial in the signing of Huijsen. The Portuguese joined the Cherries from Roma in 2024, where he was general manager. He was key in landing Huijsen, having watched the former Roma defender on loan at the Stadio Olimpico that season. Those with knowledge of the negotiations say Pinto knew he could exploit Juventus' need to sell players. This is despite one source in Turin saying they thought Huijsen could become "world class" even when he started out in their academy teams. Bournemouth ended up signing Huijsen for £12.6m, in a deal potentially rising to £15m. After an injury to team-mate Marcos Senesi, Huijsen broke into Bournemouth's starting XI and hasn't looked back. He was exceptional on his third Premier League start, scoring a towering header in a 1-0 win over Tottenham at Vitality Stadium in December. He has been an ever-present in Andoni Iraola's defence since. Once a move to the Bernabeu is completed, the Cherries will have quadrupled their initial outlay on the defender. What has become very clear, not just at Real Madrid but at all the top teams, is that there are players that cannot last a whole season and cannot play three games in a row. It is nothing to do with training or bad preparation, it is just the physical demands. Real feel there are some areas of the team that need reinforcements and central defence is one of them. In Huijsen, they see someone that can maintain the level of the Premier League, who has the physicality to deal with it and is still developing. The club was always going to invest in a centre-back this summer but they have decided to invest quickly before the Club World Cup. Listen to the latest Football Daily podcast
Yahoo
17-05-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Dean Huijsen signs for Real Madrid in £50m deal with Bournemouth
Dean Huijsen signed for Bournemouth last July but has been tracked by Madrid since his time as a youth player at Málaga. Dean Huijsen signed for Bournemouth last July but has been tracked by Madrid since his time as a youth player at Málaga. Photograph: Allstar Picture Library Ltd/Ed Sykes/Apl/Sportsphoto Real Madrid have completed the signing of the Bournemouth centre-back Dean Huijsen. The 20-year-old defender, who has also been targeted by Chelsea, Arsenal, Bayern Munich, Liverpool and Newcastle, will join the Spanish club at the end of the season after they agreed to pay a £50m release clause. Real tried to sign the Netherlands-born Spain international when he was a youth player at Málaga and have continued to track the former Juventus and Roma defender's progress. Huijsen's footballing idol is Sergio Ramos, the former Spain and Madrid defender. After a loan spell at Roma, Huijsen signed for Bournemouth in July 2024. Advertisement Related: 'I've always been pretty chilled': Dean Huijsen on Bournemouth, defending and his celebration His recruitment comes as Xabi Alonso is set to take charge as Madrid's manager from Carlo Ancelotti, who is taking over the Brazil national team, and marks the start of the La Liga club's rebuild. The Bayer Leverkusen head coach will come in after a season in which the European champions were knocked out of the Champions League in the quarter-finals by Arsenal and lost their La Liga crown to their arch-rivals, Barcelona. The Amsterdam-born player has made 30 appearances in the top flight this season, and scored goals against while his reputation burgeoned as one of Europe's most capable young players. Huijsen's family moved from the Netherlands to Spain when he was five and last year he pledged his allegiance to the latter despite representing the Dutch from under-16s to under-19s. He earned his first caps for the Spain senior team in March. Advertisement '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. Bournemouth had earlier said on their website: 'Everyone at AFC Bournemouth is looking forward to working with Dean for the remaining two games of the Premier League season, before he embarks on the next step of his career.' Bournemouth visit Manchester City on Tuesday then host Leicester on Sunday 25 May.
Express Tribune
15-05-2025
- Sport
- Express Tribune
Dean Huijsen Real Madrid: Club agree to pay Bournemouth £50m release clause
Real Madrid are set to complete the signing of Bournemouth centre-back Dean Huijsen after agreeing to pay the 20-year-old's £50 million release clause. The Spain international, who joined Bournemouth from Juventus for £12.6m less than a year ago, is close to agreeing personal terms with the La Liga giants. According to veteran English journalist David Ornstein, the deal is advancing quickly, with full agreement expected within days. 🚨 Real Madrid activate £50m release clause in Dean Huijsen contract + working to finalise signing of Bournemouth centre-back. Talks over personal terms advanced & reps in Madrid to close transfer. W/ @Dan_Sheldon_ @GuillermoRai_ @TheAthleticFC #RMFC #AFCB — David Ornstein (@David_Ornstein) May 15, 2025 Madrid will pay the release clause in three instalments, with former clubs Juventus and Malaga due to receive 10% and 5% of the fee respectively. Huijsen had drawn interest from several Premier League clubs — including Chelsea, Liverpool, Arsenal, and Newcastle — but has opted to return to Spain, where he spent much of his youth career playing for Costa Unida CF and Malaga. Madrid are pushing to finalise the deal ahead of next month's inaugural FIFA Club World Cup in the United States. The move is seen as a key part of the club's summer rebuild under incoming manager Xabi Alonso, who has identified Huijsen as a long-term central defensive solution. The Netherlands-born defender has been a standout performer for Andoni Iraola's Bournemouth, making 34 appearances and scoring three goals in his debut Premier League season. He became a fixture in the team after an early-season injury to Marcos Senesi and has since made his Spain senior debut. Huijsen's towering header against Tottenham in December was a breakthrough moment, showcasing his aerial strength and composure. His performances have earned admiration across Europe and prompted Madrid to move swiftly. Once the transfer is finalised, Bournemouth stand to quadruple their investment, with the deal potentially rising beyond £50 million depending on add-ons. Huijsen will become Real Madrid's second Premier League signing of the summer, with Trent Alexander-Arnold also expected to arrive from Liverpool in the coming weeks. Madrid's investment in youth continues as they reshape the squad under Alonso, with Huijsen's arrival signalling a new era in defence at the Bernabéu.
