Having already claimed just about every trophy worth getting his hands upon, Liverpool’s man mountain Virgil van Dijk is almost another Premier League title closer to truly establishing himself as the finest central defender of his generation.
But, as far as Liverpool’s £50 million summer target is concerned, Sergio Ramos will take some shifting from the Mount Rushmore of modern-day defenders.
Dean Huijsen was born in Amsterdam but made his name in Italy, and now represents Spain at senior level.
So while the Bournemouth ace may have been born just 65 miles south of Virgil van Dijk’s hometown of Breda, Huijsen’s self-proclaimed ‘idol’ is the man he is now hoping to emulate on the international stage.
When quizzed by Italian publication La Gazzetta dello Sport back in 2024, and asked to pick between Van Dijk and Real Madrid legend Sergio Ramos, Huijsen did not take long to make his selection.
“Absolutely [Ramos], he was my idol,” Huijsen said in the midst of his impressive loan spell with Roma. “For me, Sergio Ramos has been one of the strongest central defenders in the history of football.”
Now, with Liverpool facing a potential Real Madrid battle for Dean Huijsen’s signature, The Reds will be hoping that one of their leading summer targets can resist the urge to follow in Ramos’ gilded Bernabau footsteps.
Liverpool target Dean Huijsen tipped to become the next Virgil van Dijk
According to the ever-reliable David Ornstein, Liverpool opened talks with Dean Huijsen’s camp earlier this month. The former Juventus starlet seemingly confirmed the existence of a £50 million release clause in the deal which took him from Turin to the South Coast last summer, though it felt telling that Huijsen was keen to keep the door to Real Madrid ajar.
Of course, as Van Dijk commits his future to Liverpool for at least the next two years – this, combined with Mo Salah’s own extension has some feeling that Arne Slot has already saved £200 million in summer outlays – the need for a long-term replacement at Anfield is not quite so pressing as it might have been.
Yet, at the age of just 19, Huijsen does feel like an ideal opportunity at a pretty timely moment.
A young, raw yet extremely-talented and Premier League-proven central defender. One who could arrive not under pressure to succeed Van Dijk immediately, but one who could grow under the 33-year-old’s wing before stepping into his shoes a couple of seasons down the line.
Speaking on the Tuttomercatoweb podcast, Italian reporter Marco Conteiro cannot shake the similarities between Huijsen and a young Van Dijk.
The rangy, yet athletic frame – Huijsen is actually the taller of the two – coupled with a wonderful range of passing from a teenager who exudes a sense of mature, unshakeable calm.
“Before, they compared him to Van Dijk,” said Conteiro, who watched Huijsen blossom in the Italian capital last season. “But now he is really becoming Virgil van Dijk.
“He is a truly extraordinary player. He risks becoming a great regret [for Juventus].”
Given that Juve followed up Huijsen’s departure by signing Newcastle benchwarmer Lloyd Kelly – for a much larger fee than Bournemouth stumped up, by the way – Conteiro is not alone in coming to that conclusion.
“The season, he is playing extraordinarily,” Conteiro adds. “He is attracting the attention of various big European clubs, including Real Madrid.”
You can add Chelsea, Arsenal and Tottenham Hotspur to that, for a start.
Fabrizio Romano explains advantage Liverpool have over Real Madrid
The good news for Liverpool though is that, while competition for Huijsen’s signature will be fierce and varied back home in the Premier League, over in Madrid, it is far from certain that the chance to follow in Sergio Ramos’ footsteps will actually present itself at all.
“Dean Huijsen would be very open to a move to Real Madrid,” explains Fabrizio Romano. “But this depends on Real Madrid.
“And, as of today, Real Madrid have still not decided whether they want to invest in a centre-back this summer or continue with the centre-backs they have. Huijsen is appreciated at Real Madrid, but they have not decided whether they want to spend on a centre-back in the summer or not.
“Obviously, Huijsen can’t wait forever. This is why Premier League clubs are working on this deal. I already told you in general about Liverpool, about Chelsea, about Arsenal. Bayern [Munich] have also been calling for weeks for Dean Huijsen.
“Now, Premier League clubs are really, really pushing. So, the timing will be important in this story. Dean Huijsen is going to keep exploring all the options in the next days and weeks.”
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