When Spanish defender Dean Huijsen signed for Bournemouth in the summer of 2024, he was just 19 years old. The fee—12.8 million pounds paid to Juventus—might sound modest by Premier League standards, where hundreds of millions are spent each window. But his first season in England? Anything but modest.
Since arriving, Huijsen has made a name for himself and sports betting fans can bet on him. Almost immediately, his name was linked with numerous top clubs. Liverpool, Chelsea, Arsenal, Newcastle, Tottenham, and giants beyond England like Bayern Munich, Barcelona, and Real Madrid.
Born in Amsterdam in 2005, Dean is the son of Donny Huijsen, a former professional who played in the Dutch top leagues. In 2010, the family relocated to Spain, where Dean began to shine in Málaga’s academy. In 2021, he joined Juventus, worked through the youth ranks, and made his senior debut in 2023. A five-month loan to Roma opened the door to top-level football—and Bournemouth acted quickly to sign the rising star.
He represented the Netherlands youth teams up to under-19 level but received Spanish citizenship in 2024. In 2025, he debuted for Spain’s senior national team—ironically against the Netherlands, at De Kuip in Rotterdam.
Coach Andoni Iraola gave him a platform at Bournemouth, and Huijsen delivered standout performances. “My dad is my agent,” he explained regarding transfer rumors. “He handles everything. I don’t read any of it. I just focus on my football.”
Defensive Attributes
Huijsen is an aggressive, tall (1.97m), right-footed center back who is comfortable playing on either side of a central pairing. He likes stepping out of the defensive line to challenge attackers or attempt interceptions high up the pitch. He has good timing, strong game understanding, and is not afraid to engage physically with opposing midfielders.
His goal is to disrupt the opponent’s reception of the ball, preventing them from turning or receiving it facing the goal. Instead, he forces them to receive with their back to goal—a position that limits attacking options. This proactive style requires backup from mobile fullbacks and midfielders who can recover loose balls. Trust Alonso to bring this modern, aggressive tactical edge to Real Madrid.
Huijsen follows his marker deep into the field rather than passing off responsibility. In aerial duels, he excels, often challenging even the most physical strikers. Though lean, his frame is deceptive—he is strong and unafraid of contact. If he loses the initial duel, it can expose gaps behind, but in a three-center-back setup, Madrid would have cover for his proactive movements. As a pressure-leading defender, he sometimes struggles to recover quickly, especially when dribbled past, which is something he will need to improve over time.
On the Ball
Huijsen is comfortable on both feet. He likes to drive forward and launch long, arching passes, often over the top of the defense. While accurate, he still needs to add ground-breaking passes to his toolkit, especially against deep defensive blocks.
He often drives forward at pace, but that can hinder decision-making. Slowing down slightly could help him make better choices. Alonso will need to teach Huijsen how to control the tempo—something the coach excelled at during his own playing days. Against compact defenses, Huijsen will need to find sharper solutions rather than relying on long balls.
Anchor in Bournemouth’s Defense
Despite being right-footed, Huijsen played almost exclusively as the left center back in a four-man defense this season. He paired with Ukrainian defender Illia Zabarnyi, just two years older—and together, they formed one of the league’s top duos.
Iraola’s Bournemouth posted the highest number of defensive duels per game in the league (72.4), and Huijsen was a key contributor—with a success rate of 74.3 percent (the best in the team among players with 50 or more duels) and 5.26 interceptions per match, third best in the squad.
The center backs supported a high press, closing central spaces and enabling midfielders to step up. Huijsen pressed, intercepted, and midfielders like Lewis Cook and Ryan Christie reacted to win second balls and launch counters.
When defending deep, the center backs stayed close to limit exposure to pace. Bournemouth’s fullbacks pushed high, requiring the central defenders and holding midfielders to cover critical space—and Huijsen did this well.
Bottom Line
Bournemouth gave Dean Huijsen the platform—and he delivered big time. In his first Premier League season, he became one of Europe’s most exciting young defenders.
If he improves in a few specific areas at Real Madrid, like ground-based progression—a key in Alonso’s system—and recovery tracking during transitions, he has the potential to become one of the best center backs in Europe in the coming years.
