Real Madrid signs Spain defender Dean Huijsen from Bournemouth

MADRID (AP) — Real Madrid signed highly rated Spain defender Dean Huijsen from Bournemouth in its first reinforcement of the offseason on Saturday.

The 20-year-old Huijsen signed a five-year deal through June 2030, the Spanish powerhouse said. Madrid activated the player’s 50-million pound ($66.4 million) to sign him, Bournemouth said.

Huijsen is a Dutch-born, ball-playing center back who joined the Premier League team from Juventus for a reported 12.5 million pounds (now $16.6 million) in the offseason last year. He was a regular for Bournemouth since breaking into the team in November.

Huijsen “has been instrumental in the club’s record-breaking campaign, which has seen Andoni Iraola’s side already break their highest points tally in the Premier League,” Bournemouth said.

He impressed so much that he earned a call-up by Spain for the Nations League playoffs in March, coming on a substitute in the first leg against the Netherlands and then starting the second leg.

Assured on the ball and a good reader of the game, Huijsen had been linked with some of the biggest teams in the Premier League in recent months, including Liverpool and Arsenal, so it was increasingly inevitable Bournemouth would be losing the tall defender over the summer — but making a big profit in the process.

Madrid needs to rebuild a defense after multiple injuries to its backline during a trophyless 2024-25 campaign.

Huijsen will stay with Bournemouth for its remaining two games this season before leaving for Madrid.

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