Chelsea Eyeing Summer Swoop For This High-flying Bournemouth Defender: Why They Must Secure His Services | OneFootball

According to transfer news expert Fabrizio Romano, Chelsea are keeping close eyes on Dean Huijsen ahead of a potential summer swoop. But they are not alone in the hunt as the Bournemouth centre-half is also drawing interest from Bayern Munich following his scintillating spell in the heart of the backline.

The Cherries are a fierce force under Andoni Iraola who has transformed them into ‘top four’ contenders despite several injury concerns. Huijsen, who was not an automatic first-team starter, grabbed his opportunities following Marcos Senesi’s muscle tear against Wolves in late November. Not only has he missed a minute ever since across competitions but also maintained an unbeaten status in their past 11 outings since December.

The 19-year-old teenage sensation progressed through the academy ranks of Costa Unida CF and Malaga before joining Juventus in the summer of 2021. After impressing for their reserves, Huijsen was promoted to their senior setup. While he made his debut against AC Milan, the lack of first-team minutes saw him plying his trade to Roma on loan for the second half of the 2023-24 season.

BOURNEMOUTH, ENGLAND – DECEMBER 05: Dean Huijsen of AFC Bournemouth hugs teammate Illya Zabarnyi at the end of the Premier League match between AFC Bournemouth and Tottenham Hotspur FC at Vitality Stadium on December 05, 2024 in Bournemouth, England. (Photo by Dan Mullan/Getty Images)

His boisterous stint with the Serie A side saw Bournemouth splash a fee of €15.2m (which could rise to €18.2m) ahead of the 2024-25 campaign. However, he has a release clause into his contract valid from this summer as revealed by Romano and the Blues, therefore, are assessing a potential swoop amid frailties in the defensive third.

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Chelsea were in contention for the silverware a few weeks back but have fallen off massively in recent fixtures. They are struggling to defend narrow leads, also, injuries to Wesley Fofana and Benoit Badiashile have decimated them in the defensive third. Enzo Maresca does not view Renato Veiga as a centre-back, and the versatile Portuguese has joined Juventus on loan to play in his preferred position.

Although they still have Axel Disasi and Tosin Adarabioyo in their ranks, Maresca opted to recall Trevoh Chalobah from Crystal Palace to partner with Levi Colwill in deep defence. The gaffer even preferred young academy prodigy Josh Acheampong for a couple of games thus indicating Adarabioyo and Disasi surplus to requirements.

While the Blues must prefer an experienced central defensive ace to add stability and composure, a player of Huijsen’s profile could solve their crisis for many years. His ability to play it out from the back along with strong tackling and aerial attributes make him a perfect fit for modern-day football.