Bournemouth defender Dean Huijsen will join LaLiga side Real Madrid from June 1 after signing a deal with the Spanish side until 2030, both clubs said on Saturday, making him eligible to play in next month’s Club World Cup.
Premier League side Bournemouth said Real activated a 50 million pounds ($66.36 million) release clause to sign the 20-year-old on a five-year deal.
Real, keen to have Huijsen for the Club World Cup in the United States, beat several clubs to one of Europe’s most sought-after young players, after his impressive campaign since joining Andoni Iraola’s Bournemouth last year from Juventus.
The centre back made 34 appearances in all competitions for Bournemouth, scoring three goals. Dutch-born Spain international Huijsen made his debut for Spain against the Netherlands in the Nations League in March.
“Well, Huijsen is a great player, young, with a lot of potential, I think the signing is very good for Real Madrid,” Real manager Carlo Ancelotti told reporters on Saturday.
Injuries to defenders have significantly impacted Real’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, (Eder) Militao was doing well, (Dani) Carvajal was doing well, and throughout this season, these kinds of injuries have hurt us,” he added.
Carvajal and Militao have been out with serious knee injuries since November. Antonio Ruediger, Ferland Mendy and Alaba suffered injuries late in April and are not expected to be back until the end of the season.
With Barcelona beating Real to the LaLiga title, Copa del Rey, and the Spanish Super Cup, Real, having been knocked out the Champions League, only have the Club World Cup left to fight for in terms of silverware this year.
