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- Real Madrid have unveiled their £50m signing Dean Huijsen from Bournemouth
- The 20-year-old centre-back became new manager Xabi Alonso’s first signing
- Watch every Club World Cup match free on DAZN. Sign Up Now
Real Madrid have unveiled £50million signing Dean Huijsen ahead of the Club World Cup.
The 20-year-old, who joined after Los Blancos activated his Bournemouth release clause, has been handed the number 24 shirt after penning a five-year deal at the Santiago Bernabeu.
The defender was born in the Netherlands and featured for their youth teams but represents Spain internationally.
Huijsen was Madrid’s first signing of the Xabi Alonso era and they pipped a host of Premier League clubs, including Chelsea, Liverpool, Arsenal and Newcastle, to his signature.
‘I’ve wanted to be here since day one. From the moment Real Madrid called, I didn’t look at any other clubs,’ Huijsen said at the unveiling attended by club president Florentino Pérez and his family.
‘Real Madrid is the club of my life and I hope to stay here for many years,’ he added.
Real Madrid have unveiled £50m defender Dean Huijsen who they signed from Bournemouth
The 20-year-old defender, who represents Spain internationally, will wear the number 24 shirt
Huijsen becomes the first signing of the Xabi Alonso era and joins ahead of the Club World Cup
Asked if he has already spoken with new boss Alonso, Huijsen said: ‘Yes, just a little, about what he expects from me and I think these are going to be great years.
‘I fit very well in Xabi’s soccer, I’m going to try to help the team in every way I can.’
Madrid have also scooped Trent Alexander-Arnold and paid Liverpool a mega £10m fee so that he could join them early ahead of the Club World Cup, which kicks off on Saturday.
Huijsen was one of Bournemouth’s outstanding players in his only season at the club, having joined the Cherries from Juventus for £12.6m last summer.
He was nominated for the Premier League’s Young Player of the Year award and has helped Andoni Iraola’s side record a club-record points tally in the division.
While he had admiring glances from top Premier League clubs, Madrid was his preferred destination.
As Mail Sport has reported, his fee will be paid in three instalments while his former clubs Juventus and Malaga will be entitled to a 10 per cent and five per cent slice of the fee respectively.
After joining Bournemouth from Juventus last summer, Huijsen was initially playing a back-up role to Marcos Senesi and Illia Zabarnyi before getting his chance in the starting line-up and grabbing it with both hands.
Huijsen was born in the Netherlands and represented their youth teams but declared for Spain
Madrid endured a disappointing season and hope Dean Huijsen will turn around their fortunes
Huijsen hugely impressed after joining the Cherries from Juventus for £12.6m last summer
Madrid, meanwhile, have been on the lookout for reinforcements after a disappointing season where they missed out on the LaLiga title, Copa del Rey, and Spanish Super Cup all to Barcelona.
While they were eliminated to Arsenal in the Champions League quarter-finals.
Huijsen had previously been warned against moving to the Spanish capital.
His old youth coach Juan Gutierrez, who was at Malaga when Huijsen joined aged 10, told him a move to Los Blancos would spell a dramatic reduction in game time.
‘Dean is going to be a leader no matter where he goes, so I hope whoever signs him they play him as a starter, and he’s not a project for the future,’ Gutierrez said.
‘He is a player for now. There are very few like that at his age, which is why I don’t know to what extent it would be a good option to sign for Real.
‘No one can guarantee you’ll play because of your pretty face but if he leaves Bournemouth, it shouldn’t be to sit on the bench.’
