Liverpool not as far off sealing £50m transfer as some think but Van Dijk problem persists | OneFootball

Liverpool find themselves in an advantageous position when it comes to the potential signing of Dean Huijsen this summer.

The Merseysiders along with Enzo Maresca’s Chelsea are considered more advanced in the race to sign the Spain international compared to Euro rivals Real Madrid or Bayern Munich.

Ben Jacobs confirmed as much on X (formerly Twitter), with the young centre-back thought to be ‘likely to move’ within the Premier League.

Huijsen has a £50m release clause that can be activated in the upcoming summer window.

Liverpool could pre-agree Dean Huijsen deal

(Photo by Mike Hewitt/Getty Images)

Jacobs’ report for GiveMeSport makes clear that Liverpool, Chelsea, Arsenal, Newcastle and Tottenham form the Premier League contingent interested in his services.

In fact, there’s optimism that a pre-agreement could be struct before the window opens briefly on June 1, with the Reds and Blues holding the advantage over Real Madrid and Bayern Munich.

For how long that advantage will remain, of course, is the million dollar question for decision-makers at the AXA training ground.

Huijsen’s father has already offered one clear hint that he’d like to see his son enjoy the next stage of his development at the Santiago Bernabeu.

Similar noises have come from the player directly who appeared humbled by the links to Real Madrid.

Virgil van Dijk must be considered

The big question for Liverpool is whether they could end up taking care of all the developmental work with Dean Huijsen only for Los Blancos to snap him up several years down the line.

Competition for places is fierce in the Spanish capital, but Antonio Rudiger (32) and David Alaba (32) ages mean the incumbent Champions League holders are likely to invest in the heart of their defence in the near future.

We can’t be the stepping stone to help Madrid achieve that objective with one of the hottest Spanish talents on the market.

Ultimately, with Virgil van Dijk reportedly closing in on a contract extension, we’re set to enter a crucial phase of Liverpool’s development under Arne Slot.

This is, pending the Dutchman signing on the dotted line, a valuable opportunity to secure the future of the backline without having to engage in a sudden and competitively costly rebuild.

We can’t afford to eventually see off our No.4 and his potential successor in quick succession. So perhaps an alternative to Huijsen would be more ideal.

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